The use of smartphones, tablets and computers has become firmly integrated into our daily lives. Even the most resistant adopters of electronic devices in their daily lives often find themselves on the way to their local library or a family member’s house in order to ‘get online’ to complete an important task. Fast-moving technologies can make once simple tasks like banking or ordering from a catalog difficult for those who have not stayed up to date with changes.
While in many ways it can seem like technology has overtaken our lives, it has brought us many opportunities we previously didn’t have. Being able to place a video call to grandchildren who may live miles and miles away from us, or to consult with a physician and get help without an appointment, enriches our everyday experience. Using electronic devices can also empower us, increase our independence and safety, and reduce isolation by connecting us to our communities.
In May, the Pew Research Center (2017), released results on a study of the use of technology by older adults and the results indicated a significant increase of electronic devices in the few years. Since 2011, the use of smartphones among older adults increased 35%. Today 4 in 10 adults age 65+ own a smart phone. There were similar increases in tablet use. One third of seniors own a tablet, like an iPad, which is a 19% increase from 2010. These results indicate that older adults are just as connected as other age groups, yet for many older adults, their devices seem more a hindrance than a help in their daily lives.
While 75% of older adults surveyed in the Center’s study are online several times a day, only 26% of those same adults feel confident in their use of electronic devices. There are several factors that contribute to this experience, but one of the main ones is the feeling of disorientation that older adults sometimes experience when they first get a smartphone, tablet or computer. Well-meaning family members, may get a device for a family member, set it up for them with passwords and security questions they don’t share with the new owner, and then become impatient with them when the device isn’t working properly.
Seniors will often limit themselves to only using features of their devices that they are certain they know how to operate, like making a phone call or playing a favorite game, missing out on a world of functions and apps that can actually enhance their lives and help them continue to be independent.
There are many organizations working to help seniors become more comfortable and proficient on using electronic devices throughout the nation. Public libraries are a great resource for seniors to learn the basics about how to use computers and even tablets and smartphones. Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (AAAWM) is developing a class to teach seniors how to use their devices, and show them specific applications available that can support their independence and connection to their communities. We’ll also teach seniors how to protect themselves from scams while on the internet.
On Tuesday, August 22nd from 1-3 pm as part of Family Caregiver University, AAAWM will be introducing our new technology class. On this day, participants will learn the best ways to integrate new technology into the lives of older adults, some of the assistive technologies built into many devices, review apps that can help caregivers manage their lives, as well as give a preview of an upcoming course designed specifically to help seniors use mobile devices like a smartphone or tablet. The class will take place at Area Agency on Aging located at 3215 Eaglecrest Dr. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525.
For a full list of Family Caregiver University classes provided by the Caregiver Resource Network, please call 888.456.5664 or go here.
Caregiver’s Corner is provided as a public service of the Caregiver Resource Network. The Caregiver Resource Network is a collaboration of West Michigan organizations dedicated to providing for the needs and welfare of family and professional caregivers within the community. Funded by the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan with Older American’s Act Title IIIE, Family Caregiver Support funds.
The cost-free Growing Young Artists (GYA) program continues this summer at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (400 Culver Street). While their parents are harvesting produce in West Michigan, migrant children in pre-K through 8th grade will have the opportunity to raise their voices and make their mark through this project-based learning program created by the SCA.
Now in its sixth year, GYA uses creativity-infused project-based learning (PBL) to deliver key life skills to approximately 150 “at risk” migrant students in Allegan and Van Buren Counties. PBL delivers value around “hard skills” including language and literacy fluency, math and science, as well as critical “soft skills” such as problem solving, team building, communication skills and empathy. By expanding experiences beyond traditional textbook learning with a professional artist and plunging students into experiential hands-on situations, students will develop deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life.
“The Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA) is committed to Growing Young Artists because all young people deserve access to innovative learning experiences,” said SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong. “Migrant children are under the radar — most of us are unaware that they’re living in our communities each summer and going to school while they’re here. These children deserve access to the same programs our own children benefit from. Thanks to a group of dedicated sponsors, we are able to offer this program, free of charge, to our educational partners.”
Photo supplied
These children follow their parents to West Michigan’s fruit belt to harvest for the summer, moving from school to school and state to state throughout the year. Via GYA, the SCA partners with Fennville and South Haven schools’ summer programs to bridge the gap for these children who often struggle to meet core academic standards.
“We could not offer this program to our students without the generosity and vision of the SCA. We simply don’t have the resources or the expertise that the SCA shares with our students every summer,” said Fennville Education Director Corey Harbaugh. “The opportunity the SCA provides our students to work with a professional artist communicates nothing less than respect for these kids as artists and thinkers. Our students are invited and inspired by SCA every summer to do real art with real artists, and we are grateful.”
The SCA employs a multi-layered, bilingual teaching team comprised of working professionals, college students studying education with varying experience, as well as middle and high school interns for the GYA program. Teachers and interns team up in pairs to teach the GYA programming to students, and along the way also impact the SCA Artist in Residence, the other teachers in Fennville and South Haven, and even each other. “We’ve discovered that this model is so rich in learning opportunities that everyone involved is positively impacted,” said Armstrong.
“I’m grateful for the ability to make these students feel important,” said Fennville Migrant Teacher Kate Godwin. “After Growing Young Artists, students have the tools, experience, and pride – I hope they continue with their self-reflections and creativity, making their dreams a reality after they leave Fennville. I also hope the GYA experience reinforces that the future is wide open for them.”
This summer’s GYA program includes arts-infused field trips and the opportunity to work alongside the Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Artist in Residence Rubén Aguirre. Aguirre, Chicago artist who focuses on public artwork, will teach the students about cultural connection, relationship building, empowerment, and celebrating their own stories. Students will make their mark and leave a positive impact on Saugatuck by helping Aguirre create a public mural on the west wall of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts building.
Photo supplied
During the four-week GYA program, students complete one drawing prompt and one writing prompt daily, building a portfolio. The goal is to empower the students to think about who they are, what they want to say and to realize that they have the ability to leave permanent, positive “marks” on their community. The students will create individual paintings, representing their stories, which will go into two collaborative panels: one to remain at their school and one to be installed on the SCA public mural. Aguirre will then take the two schools’ panels and attach them to the SCA mural, filling in the empty spaces with his own designs, allowing the children — who are often “invisible” — to truly make a mark on our community.
“Rubén has this admirable gravitas about him and an immense amount of talent, we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him this summer. His evolution as an artist is fascinating and his creative experiences will seamlessly engage him with our West Michigan migrant youth,” said SCA Education & Exhibitions Manager Whitney Valentine. “During this summer’s program, we’re posing important questions about the students’ identity, their culture and how they want to visually leave their mark on the world. I look forward to watching how deeply Rubén impacts the lives of the students, my staff, and our community over the next month.”
For more information about GYA and other SCA outreach programming, visit sc4a.org or call 269.857.2399.
The City of Kentwood is hosting a volunteer signup party for its community event “Celebrate Kentwood” Tuesday, July 18, at Railtown Brewing Company, 3555 68th St. SE, Caledonia.
The “Celebrate Kentwood” event takes places on Aug. 11 and 12. Volunteers are needed to help with everything such as set up, manning the information booth, and helping with merchandise sales.
Activities for the two-day event include a classic car show from 5 – 8 p.m. and Kentwood’s Got Talent for 7 – 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11, and on Saturday, Aug 12, there will be a farmers market and Breton Street Fair from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., various cultural acts performing from 1 – 3 p.m., various activities from noon – 7 p.m.; the Mega 80s fro 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. and fireworks at dusk.
Those who attend Tuesday’s event will receive a t-shirt and pizza for signing up on the spot.
If you can make Tuesday’s event, you can still sign up up to help in August. For more information, click here.
Wyoming Public Safety Director James E. Carmody has been recognized as the top police chief of 2016 by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.
Carmody, who has more than four decades of law enforcement experience, received the MACP Presidential Citation award at the organization’s annual conference in late June. The Presidential Citation is “awarded for outstanding and extraordinary professional and personal service to the criminal justice system, the law enforcement profession and the MACP” and recognizes “a personal dedication and commitment above and beyond normal professional duties and interactions.”
“As a City, we are deeply honored to have Chief Carmody recognized by his peers as the top police chief in Michigan,” said Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt. “He exemplifies professionalism and has a deep commitment to law enforcement, to his officers and staff, and to all the residents of the City of Wyoming.
“Since joining us in 2006, Chief Carmody has developed innovative programs that improve our ability to address key issues facing our community while building positive bridges with our citizens. His effective leadership style has earned the respect of all those who work with him.”
Carmody began his career as a police officer in Port Huron in 1975, retiring from the force as a deputy chief before moving to Wyoming as police chief. In 2013, he oversaw the creation of a joint Public Safety Department in Wyoming and was made public safety director with responsibilities for police and fire services in this city of nearly 75,000.
The MACP award recognizes the 42 years he has served as a police officer, including 24 at an executive level, and his 23 years of active membership with the MACP. Carmody serves on several MACP committees, including chair of the Traffic Safety Committee and a member of the Training & Education and Legislative committees. He was recently selected as the Michigan District 5 MACP executive board alternate representative. In April, he was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to serve on the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission.
“I can’t think of a greater honor than to be recognized by my peers,” Carmody said. “It has, and will continue to be, a team effort as we work collectively to advance our communities and work to provide the best public safety services.”
Active professionally, Carmody works with the MACP Executive Development program and has taught dozens of police training, management and leadership classes. He sits on the interview panel for Congressman Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, reviewing high school students who have applied for appointment to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the nation’s other military service academies. In January 2016, Carmody represented the MACP and Michigan’s law enforcement community when he attended Pres. Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
Carmody received his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and his master’s from University of Michigan. He is also a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy.
Grand Valley State University is expanding its health campus in downtown Grand Rapids to accommodate the ever-increasing demand from students and health care providers.
The university’s Board of Trustees approved a building project on the Medical Mile on Michigan Street at its July 14 meeting. The new building, at 333 Michigan, will be next to Grand Valley’s Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences and within a block of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, currently under construction on Lafayette Avenue.
The new $70 million building project will create additional spaces for the health professions and nursing programs. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2018, with the opening set for May 2021. Finkelstein Hall is 84,000 square feet and will be completed next May.
“This approval is a major turning point for Grand Valley’s health programs,” said Provost Maria Cimitile. “Demand has exceeded our ability to accept highly qualified students, and these two new buildings, right in the middle of the city’s vibrant medical community, will provide exceptional opportunities for more students to attend Grand Valley and benefit from the unique combination of liberal education with professional training. This combination makes our graduates highly employable by area hospitals and medical facilities.”
Grand Valley is the leading provider of health care professionals in the region, and the project received authorization from the Michigan Legislature. The state approved a capital outlay request of $29 million for the five-story, 160,000-square-foot building. The rest of the funds will come from private donors and university bonds.
The trustees also adopted the university’s FY 2018 budget and set tuition rates for the academic year. Trustees approved a $237 per semester increase in tuition, bringing annual tuition to $11,994 for a full-time undergraduate Michigan resident. The budget includes $47 million in financial aid for students, which is an increase of more than $3.3 million to be awarded in the form of scholarships and grants.
The university is expected to receive $70.1 million in state funding, some of which is awarded to Grand Valley based on its superior performance in key areas such as retention and graduation rates. Grand Valley ranks fourth for retention and third in graduation rates of all public universities in Michigan. Nearly 85 percent of recent graduates stay and work in Michigan.
“It’s incredibly gratifying for the Legislature to again recognize Grand Valley as the state’s most efficiently managed university and our investment in our students and their promising medical careers,” said John Kennedy, chair of the Grand Valley Board of Trustees. “And the university achieves high performance while still keeping tuition lower than the majority of other public universities in the state. Students are graduating and employers are recognizing their talent. They’re staying in Michigan and giving back to their communities.”
The performance funding from the state has allowed Grand Valley and President Thomas J. Haas to provide the Grand Finish grant to students who stay on track toward graduating in four years. The grant awards a $1,000 scholarship at the start of the fourth year to students with at least 90 credits. Since the Grand Finish program began in 2011, more than 13,500 students have received the award heading into their final year of their undergraduate degree.
“An education provides benefits to a family, a community and a state,” said Haas. “Education is a public good, and by making it affordable and accessible to more people, who in turn contribute to the health of our state, we change our collective futures. Grand Valley is absolutely committed to these principles, and we back up the commitment by increasing financial aid each year so more of our students get the financial help they need to earn their degree.”
The state’s share of Grand Valley’s entire budget is 18 percent. Trustees earmarked all of the funding from the state for student financial aid, debt service, maintenance and utilities for classroom buildings.
• Trustees approved a new master’s degree program in Data Science and Analytics. Housed in the School of Computing and Information Systems and Statistics Department, graduate students will learn analytics skills that are necessary to work with big and complex data sets. Paul Leidig, director of CIS, said the program will prepare students to be data scientists, a field that has grown by 57 percent since 2016.
• James Moyer, associate vice president for Facilities Planning, reported that renovations and an addition to the Performing Arts Center on the Allendale Campus will be finished in August. The two-story, 47,000-square-foot addition includes a black box theater, support spaces, two theater classrooms and three ensemble rooms.
Moyer also said the Mackinac Ravine Restoration Project on the Allendale Campus will be finished in October. The project will restore about 1,000 feet of the ravine located north of Zumberge Pond.
• Trustees approved the authorization of Old Mission Peninsula Community School, a charter school in Traverse City; a site change for Michigan Mathematics and Science Academy in Center Line; a grade addition for Evergreen Academy (Kalamazoo) and Oakland Academy (Portage); and the appointment or reappointment of charter school board members to GVSU authorized public school academy boards.
Senator Stabenow Introduces Legislation to Help Small Businesses Grow
Courtesy Marge’s Donut Den
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has introduced legislation, the Growing Small Businesses Act, which would provide a tax cut to a small business planning to grow and expand. The bill provides a 25-percent tax credit for the cost of buildings and equipment for a business’s first commercial production facility.
“My bill provides a tax cut that will make it easier for bakers, brewers, software companies, and other small businesses across Michigan to take that next step to expand their business,” said Senator Stabenow
Since the 1970s, small businesses have created 55 percent of all new jobs but scaling up is one of the most expensive hurdles for a business. Stabenow’s legislation supports businesses that are in the process of getting off the ground, as well as businesses that have started small and want to expand from an incubator or home into their first facility.
Why is the Federal Government making it more difficult for hardworking Americans to plan for retirement?
House Financial Services Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) led a hearing to examine the impact of the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule on the capital markets. The primary focus of the hearing was to discuss the unintended consequences of the fiduciary rule on the U.S. capital markets, the need for that rule to be delayed, and the need for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to act as the lead agency on this issue moving forward.
Key Takeaways from the Hearing:
The Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule will raise costs, and reduce access to retirement advice for Americans with low and middle incomes. It is creating an excessively complicated and increasingly burdensome regulatory environment, which ultimately will only benefit plaintiff’s attorneys.
The rule must be delayed in order to prevent further disruptions to the capital markets and access to retirement advice for low and middle income Americans.
The SEC is the expert regulator when it comes to the U.S. capital markets, the market participants and the products in which they sell. Broker-dealers should be subject to a “best interest” standard as proposed in Ms. Wagner’s bill, and the SEC should be the regulator responsible for implementing and enforcing such standard.
It’s no secret that job loss is stressful. Losing your income, daily routine and professional identity can lead to feelings of anger, fear and grief. Coping with these emotions can make searching for a new job overwhelming. There are things you can do to help stay positive and keep moving forward.
Start by organizing what you need to do into easy-to-follow steps. Focus on one step at time. Every time you complete a step, check it off your list. Eventually your list will no longer seem so overwhelming! The checklist below can help you get started.
Register with the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA). You can register for unemployment and update your records all online. Visit the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) to set up an account and file your claim.
Create a Pure Michigan Talent Connect (PMTC) account. PMTC is an online portal where you can search for jobs and upload your resume so employers can find you. Get started at www.mitalent.org/.
Visit a Michigan Works! service center. Once you file for unemployment, you will need to register for work in person at a service center. Michigan Works! staff can help you through the process. The service center in Ottawa County is located at 121 Clover St, Holland, MI 49423. Visit the West Michigan Works! website to find other locations in our region.
Talk to a service center staff member. They can tell you what free services you are eligible for. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for employment preparation, career planning or scholarships for career training or on-the-job training.
Connect online. Follow the Michigan Works! Facebook page in your county to stay up-to-date on employers that are hiring and other resources for job seekers. Update your PMTC profile at least once every 30 days. This ensures your information will continue to be seen by employers.
Remember to stay positive, take it one step at a time and use the many resources available to job seekers. West Michigan Works! offers a variety of free services to help you develop a plan and take your next step to a new career!
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
This Monday, July 17, the Wyoming City Council again takes its meeting on the road, this time heading to Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE.
“Taking our meetings outside of council chambers provides us with a great opportunity to meet residents and educate them about our decision-making process,” said Mayor Jack Poll. “Their input is critical to our success as a community.”
Poll, Mayor Pro Ten Sam Bolt, and Council Members William VerHulst, Marissa Postler, Robert Postema, Dan Burrill, and Kent Vanderwood and city officials are scheduled to be at the park around 6 p.m. Ice cream also will be served at that time. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. with it being broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26.
In June, the council hosting a meeting at Lamar Park with city leaders pleased at the overall turn out. More than half a dozen residents made comments at the end of the meeting from thanking the city for help with such projects as the new light at 44th Street and Burlingame Avenue and working with the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission on the Concerts in the Parks programs to discussing such items as the Paris Accord, a concern over a home being rented out and the condition of West Lake and West Pond.
“This is like a dream come true for me,” said Councilor Dan Burrill at the June 19 meeting, who added he has enjoyed looking out from the stage, to the sights and sounds of the park.
Pastor Wayne Ondersma from The Pier Church is scheduled to give the invocation. The council will follow its normal meeting procedures with Poll explaining each segment, like he does at the regular council meetings. To see the July 17 agenda, click here.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at its chambers in Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Nearly 200 egg growers and suppliers, area farmers, and local Jaycees along with local and state elected officials who attended the Ionia Free Fair’s opening day breakfast celebrated Michigan’s egg growing industry, which has an extraordinary presence in Ionia County. The breakfast event featured Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Jamie Clover Adams as a keynote speaker, and also included McDonald’s inaugural “Fastest Egg Cracking” championship.
Sergio Brito, a McDonald’s crew member from Wyoming, cracked 13 eggs in 15 seconds and was crowned McDonald’s of Michigan’s Egg Cracking Champion. The contest was held to showcase how McDonald’s cracks fresh eggs for its Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwiches.
McDonald’s of Michigan’s Egg Cracking Champion Sergio Brito.
Michigan is the second-most diverse state in the country when it comes to agriculture. Food and agriculture has an economic impact of more than $101 billion in Michigan, employs more than 52,000 farmers, and ranks in the top ten in 19 different commodities. Michigan’s egg industry has an estimated $625 million impact on the state’s economy, Clover Adams said.
“I am thrilled to once again have the opportunity to thank McDonald’s for being one of Michigan’s best customers of our agriculture,” said Clover Adams. “In 2015, McDonald’s purchased about $164 million in Michigan agricultural products, including 69.9 million dozen eggs…that’s almost 1 billion eggs a year! Each year McDonald’s demonstrates its strong commitment to buying Michigan agricultural products; annually buying 16.2 million pounds of apples, 7.6 million gallons of milk, 7.8 million pounds of butter, 6.2 million pounds of beef, 1.7 million pounds of blueberries and 25.9 million pounds of corn.”
“It’s businesses like McDonald’s, and small business owners like Keith Berg, owner/operator of McDonald’s here in Ionia, that help Michigan to rank as one of the nation’s leaders in agribusiness and helps us continue to remain on a world class platform. By continuing to invest in Michigan agri-business, McDonald’s helps us to ensure that our farming industry will continue to grow and be embraced by future generations of farmers,” she added.
The event, co-hosted by the Ionia Jaycees and the Ionia Free Fair, also recognized one of the state’s leading egg suppliers, Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, located in Ionia.
“At McDonald’s we take great pride in our relationships with suppliers like Herbruck’s, who are not only committed to providing McDonald’s USA with high-quality ingredients, but are industry leaders in their dedication to innovation, environmental sustainability and the highest quality and safety standards,” said Marcos Quesada, McDonald’s vice president and general manager of the Michigan region. “We value our partnership with Herburck’s and the many farmers, suppliers and processors throughout Michigan.”
McDonald’s employs approximately 32,000 people statewide with 450 restaurants being owned and operated by more than 100 small independent business owners.
Greg Bryan and his wife, Beverly, watched as the City of Wyoming was forced to remove the city trees. First it was due to the Dutch Elm Disease which wiped out about 75 percent of North American’s elm trees by 1989.
Then in early 200s, it was the Emerald Ash Borer, an insect that is lethal to ash trees, with the City of Wyoming becoming part of a countywide Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine.
“They cutdown more than a 1,000 trees,” Bryan said. “My wife turned to me and said ‘We have to do something.’”
Bryan did. He helped establish the Wyoming Tree Commission and this week, in memory of his wife who passed way in the spring, he donated $10,000 to the commission to help get its fundraising efforts moving forward.
Tree Commission Vice Char Greg Bryan shakes hands with City Council member Kent Vanderwood at the the check presentation.
“We are in the process of raising funds,” Bryan said. “For many of the grants we are seeking, you need to have matching funds. I am hoping this will help in the group’s fundraising efforts.”
Just a year-old, the Wyoming Tree Commission’s focus has been centered on planting trees. It recently helped the city be named as a Tree City USA, a national movement formed in 1976 to provide the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees.
With that honor, the commission, named nicknamed the Tree Amigos, has been focusing on projects within the city including a collaboration with Wyoming Public Schools in developing a small orchard at West Elementary School.
Tree Commission Chairperson Stella Slootmaker, who also helped establish the Tree Commission, said during the commission’s recent meeting, that the group is working to raise funds by looking at various grant opportunities through the Department of Natural Resources and the USDA Farm to School Grant.
The Tree Commission also has sponsorships available at various levels, the Service Berry level, $100 – $499; the Silver Maple level, $500 – $999; and the Mighty Oak level, $1,000 or more. For more information about the Wyoming Tree Commission, email treeamigoswyoming@gmail.com.
Being disabled is tough enough, but imagine not having access to mobility equipment to get around. Thankfully, there’s a nonprofit that helps people who can’t afford or fall through the cracks of health insurance.
Alternatives in Motion enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing independence through access to mobility equipment.
The nonprofit’s vision is to be the central hub in West Michigan for recycling, distributing, and maintaining mobility devices for those in need. Alternatives in Motion had its beginnings in 1993, after the brother-in-law of founder George Ranville, a Grand Rapids native, got into a tragic accident. As Ranville struggled to help his brother-in-law attain proper — but expensive — equipment, he saw an opportunity to help the disabled community.
The new nonprofit began raising money and making its cause known, believing that access to mobility equipment is the path to independence for those in need. Since then, Alternatives in Motion, which remains entirely funded by independent donations, has continued to grow and strives to keep up with the need for mobility equipment.
The organization’s mission is to provide wheelchairs to individuals who do not qualify for other assistance and who could not obtain such equipment without financial aid. By creating access to mobility equipment and repair services for those in need, Alternatives in Motion gives them the independence and quality of life they deserve.
If you or someone you know needs mobility equipment, apply here. (You must live in West Michigan to qualify.) For more information go to the website or call 616.493.2620.
The West Michigan economy is still growing, a Grand Valley State University economist said.
Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in the Seidman College of Business, surveyed local business leaders and his findings below are based on data collected during the last two weeks of June.
The survey’s index of business improvement (new orders) came in at +31, a modest improvement over last month’s +27. The production index edged up to +26 from +19. The index of purchases remained virtually unchanged at +22, while the employment index jumped to +23 from +13.
Long said slower auto sales have resulted in most auto parts suppliers showing signs of plateauing, but no major firms have reported a significant drop in sales. He said some firms have seen an uptick in quoting activity.
Long also said the office furniture industry continues to show signs of topping out, but no decline appears to be on the horizon. “Because of the apparent topping out for some of our local industries, the capital equipment market remains mixed, and the bias is still to the down side,” he said. “For the industrial distributors, the summer maintenance schedules have given some firms a slight boost.”
The West Michigan employment picture continues to be a bright spot for the local economy, Long said. Ottawa County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 2.6 percent, and Kent County tied for third lowest at 2.8 percent. The current Michigan unemployment rate stands at 4.2 percent.
The Institute for Supply Management survey is a monthly survey of business conditions that includes 45 purchasing managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and 25 in Kalamazoo. The respondents are from the region’s major industrial manufacturers, distributors and industrial service organizations. It is patterned after a nationwide survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management. Each month, the respondents are asked to rate eight factors as “same,” “up” or “down.”
Brian G. Long, Ph.D, C.P.M., serves as Director of Supply Management research for the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. Dr. Long earned a B.S. and M.B.A. from Central Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Michigan State University. He is also a Certified Purchasing Manager.
For over 28 years, Dr. Long has edited a survey of local purchasing managers for both the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids areas, which has proved to be a major indicator of current and future business conditions. This survey appears in many local newspapers and national business publications, including the Grand Rapids Press, MiBiz, and the Grand Rapids Business Journal. The survey is also a component of the Federal Reserve’s bimonthly survey of business conditions.
June 2017 was the busiest June on record at the Gerald R. Ford International (GFIA) Airport, coming off a March that was the single busiest month in airport history.
June 2017 passengers were up 5.59 percent year-over-year, not only resulting in the busiest June ever, but also securing the title of busiest second quarter in airport history by over 30,000 passengers; and the busiest overall quarter ever serving over 700,452 passengers since the beginning of the year.
“We are halfway through 2017 and already seeing incredible record-breaking statistics,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “This is a testament to our region, and our growing community along with our airline partnerships. Not only does this June go down in airport history, but 2017 now holds the title for busiest first half ever beating out 2016 by over 86,000 passengers.”
Each month of 2017 has resulted in record-breaking passenger numbers, and the Airport has seen ten straight months of record growth.
Through June 2017, GFIA has served 1,385,730 total passengers — up 6.6 percent from 2016.
“The first phase of our Gateway Transformation Project will be complete at the end of summer, and we’re excited to see what the combination of this redesign along with the growing business in West Michigan does for our numbers,” said Gill. “We hope our continued growth prompts more nonstop service, and more options for those travelers who keep supporting us to achieve these record- breaking stats.”
Gateway Transformation Project construction began in December 2015 and is slated to continue through summer 2017. The project’s main feature is the consolidated passenger security checkpoint which opened in June, and centralizes security screening to one main checkpoint in the Airport. Construction also includes new terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, kids play areas, restroom and nursing room, family restrooms, pre- and post-security business centers, new retail and food & beverage space, and much more.
A Grand Valley State University group has developed an app for a local entrepreneur that addresses a common concern among parents: the amount of time their children spend on electronics.
Grand Valley’s applied Medical Devices Institute (aMDI) has developed Test 4 Time! (T4T), an app that makes children earn screen time on tablets and smartphones. T4T asks math questions for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. If they answer the questions correctly, they get the time.
“The app addresses a difficult challenge all parents have and allows parents to manage their child’s time on a device while making the experience fun, educational and challenging,” said Brent Nowak, executive director of aMDI.
The idea for the app came from its inventor and founder Tim Smock, from Forest Hills, six years ago when his 7-year-old son asked to play video games every day.
“I would write down 20 math questions and told him if he answered them, he could have one hour on the Wii,” he said. “I wondered if this process could be automated and came up with the idea for Test 4 Time.”
He filed for a provisional patent in August 2011 and began exploring development options.
Smock worked in 2016 with students from Grand Valley’s School of Computing and Information Systems to build a prototype of the app. Earlier this year, he came to aMDI to bring the app to market. John Doneth, a computer science major from Ada, was hired by aMDI in February to help write code and design the app.
Nowak said in six months aMDI created a full development program for T4T, from market study to product testing to launch.
“The aMDI team, which includes students and staff members, demonstrated that we can work at the pace of industry to launch a product to industry standards,” Nowak said.
Smock said he’s enjoyed working with aMDI. “The value and professionalism are exemplary, and we are very excited by the early enthusiasm for this app from parents and teachers,” Smock said.
Nowak said the next step is to develop a hardware device with the T4T software that requires children to earn time on the TV and video game consoles.
The project was funded in part by the State of Michigan’s Small Company Innovation Program/Technology Commercialization Assistance program. Learn more at www.test4time.com.
Each week, WKTV features an adoptable furry friend (or few) from various shelters in the Grand Rapids area. This week, we focus on Humane Society of West Michigan, located at 3077 Wilson Dr. NW in Grand Rapids.
Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission is to rescue hurt, abused and abandoned animals and find them a new forever home. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps over 8,000 animals annually and is 100% donor-funded by caring individuals and businesses in the community. Additional programs help reduce pet overpopulation, provide assistance to low-income pet owners, behaviorally assess animals and reunite lost pets with their owners.
Missy
Missy — Female Domestic Short Hair Mix
I’m a 9-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I’m sweet, affectionate and relaxed. I would do well as the only pet in the home in a laid-back environment. My favorite activity is napping! I love to be petted and shown love. I would be a great companion for a senior or someone who is looking for a calm, loving, low-maintenance cat. My adoption fee is waived due to generous grant funding.
More about Missy:
Animal ID: 33958186
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age 9 years 8 months
Gender: Female
Size: Medium
Color: Black/Orange
Spayed
Not declawed
Safya – Female Catahoula Leopard Mix
Safya
I’m a playful and friendly 4-year-old dog looking for my forever home! I’m an active dog who would do well in a home with people who give me an active lifestyle by playing with me, going for walks, etc. I am kenneled with a playful male dog and we get along great! Having a dog friend in the home would be a great way for me to get out some of my energy by having a friend to play with. I would not do well in a home with cats. I would do well in a home with older/respectful children. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Safya:
Animal ID: 35588482
Species: Dog
Breed: Catahoula Leopard Dog/Mix
Age: 4 years 1 month 25 days
Gender: Female
Size: Medium
Color: Grey/Black
Spayed
Feisty
Feisty – Female Domestic Short Hair Mix
I’m a 3-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I was brought in to HSWM as a stray in April and am looking for a good home to call my own. I would do well in a relaxed home. I enjoy napping, being petted, and playing around. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan! Cat adoption fees are only $15.
More about Feisty:
Animal ID: 35187536
Species: Cat
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age 3 years 20 days
Gender: Female
Size: Small
Color: White/Orange
Not declawed
Adoption fee includes:
A physical done by the staff veterinarian
A test for heartworm disease (if six months or older)
A first series of vaccines including DHLPP (distemper combo), Bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine, and rabies (if older than 14 weeks of age)
Spay/Neuter Surgery
Treatment for internal parasites
One dose of flea preventative
One dose of heartworm preventative
The organization automatically microchips all adoptable animals using 24PetWatch microchips, which include FREE registration into the 24PetWatch pet recovery service. For more information visit www.24petwatch.com or call 1.866.597.2424. This pet is also provided with 30 days of FREE ShelterCare Pet Health Insurance with a valid email address. For more information visit www.sheltercare.com or call 1.866.375.7387 (PETS).
Humane Society of West Michigan is open Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat & Sun 11-4.
Everyone is looking for ways to stay cool under the summer sun, but it is even more important for older adults. Seniors are more vulnerable to heat because their bodies don’t adjust as well to temperature changes. Medical conditions and medications can also make it hard for their bodies to regulate temperature or can cause dehydration. In fact, a recent study found that 40% of heat-related deaths in the US were among people over 65.
It is important to know the signs of heat stroke so steps can be taken to treat it as soon as possible. Symptoms include:
Body temperature over 104 degrees
Changes in behavior, like acting confused or agitated
Dry, red skin
Nausea and vomiting
Headache
Heavy breathing or a fast pulse
Lack of sweating when it’s hot out
Fainting
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, take steps to cool down and seek medical help. Use these tips to stay cool and prevent heat stroke this summer:
Drink plenty of water. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, be sure to drink plenty of cool water and avoid coffee and alcohol.
Eat light. Eat small portions of cold meals like salads. Hot, heavy meals like pot roast can increase your body temperature.
Keep the house cool. You may avoid running the air conditioning to save money, but in a heat wave it can be a life-saver. Keep your air conditioner filters clean to help them run more efficiently. Close your blinds to keep sunlight out and decrease the need for the air conditioner to work as hard.
Keep yourself cool. Wet a towel with cool water and place it on your wrists, face and back of your neck. Sit with your feet in a pan of cool water. Or take a cool shower or bath.
Visit a cooling center. If you can’t cool down at home, visit a public place with air conditioning to get some relief. A shopping mall, library or senior center are places to consider.
ACSET Community Action Agency (CAA) provides a variety of programs to help keep seniors in Kent County health and safe. To learn more, go here.
Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org.
The Kentwood Summer Concert series continues this Thursday with the Kalamazoo-based funk and soul band The Mainstays.
The Mainstays are set to perform at 7 p.m. on the lawn of the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton SE.
The group includes singer/songwriter Andrew Schrock, bass player Neal Conway, guitarist Nate Heymoss, drummer Paul Bauer and organist/clavinet player/wurlitzer player Tom Eldred.
Having recently performed with the legendary organist Booker T., of the 1960s R&B band Book T. & The M.G.’s, earlier this month, The Mainstays draws heavily from the groovy elements that made Funktion (Heymoss’s Michigan funk/dance band) a bonafide dance party, while crafting dynamic, insightful and almost folk-influenced songs. Bauer behind the drum kit and the dirty playing of Eldred on keys bring the sound fully together.
Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the evening. A variety of food trucks will be on hand for the event.
For more information about this Summer Concert Series or other programs offered by the Kentwood Parks and Recreation, visit www.yourkprd.org.
A drone buzzed over the East Kentwood Freshman campus, snapping photos to document the path of water runoff from the school building to a Buck Creek tributary that runs across the property. While watching the miniature aircraft, science students talked about how to reduce humans’ impact on the environment. They would later use technology to create maps and documentaries.
Welcome to 21st-century biology, where students have tools like drones for snapping photos from a bird’s eye view, 3-D printers for creating three-dimensional models and smartphones to create video.
Students gather to fly the drone in the schoolyard.
In science teacher Nicholas Bihler’s class, they also had the drive to tackle a real-world problem: Water that comes off the school roof simply drains onto the ground, collecting sediment and chemicals and polluting nearby waterways.
While solutions to fix the runoff problem are still unfolding, students completed several projects connected to nonpoint source pollution, and the ramifications it has on the community and local watershed. They recently showcased their work – models of campus that show the runoff path, reports, informational posters and videos – after several weeks exploring the issue and building awareness.
“Our whole purpose is to educate the community on how water runoff affects the community and the environment as a whole,” said freshman Emily Kwekel.
Students created projects with technology including drone pictures of campus and 3-D printed items.
Ongoing Work
Students’ projects and data will be used by next year’s class, and could eventually be part of a local information campaign to spur efforts to reduce pollution in the watershed. Research included gathering and testing water from the creek to create an analysis of the stream’s health. Results showed excessive phosphorus levels. Insects lacked diversity, indicating poor water quality, and next year’s students will use the data as a baseline.
“I want my students to be able to educate others about nonpoint source pollution and meaningful ways citizens can take action to reduce it,” Bihler said.
Students said they learned that pollution can come from everyday things: Fertilizers and cars have a far-reaching effect.
“It hurts the animals and then those animals can’t eat because their food source is dying off, and then they die and go extinct and people wonder why,” said freshman Lilli Crowley.
A water-mitigation garden, created by staff, is just one step in reducing the problem of water runoff from the school.
Taking action at a staff level, Bihler and his colleagues, teachers Adrienne DeMilner, Alan Freudigmann and Beth Thompson, partnered with Groundswell, an initiative through Grand Valley State University, in creating a rain mitigation garden in the school to capture water runoff and hold it in the soil with native plants.
As for sharing the message, freshman Will Chatlosh’s report, presented to his class and earning loud applause from peers, gets to the point.
“Human activities such as deforestation, agricultural advancements, and increased urbanization are all factors that increase pollution in this way,” he said, while reading his report to the class. “However, it may be a lack of information that kills millions of animals a year and increases the chance of disease around the world. However, more specifically our community is also affected by nonpoint source pollution.”
He said becoming informed is key. “Nonpoint source pollution could destroy the world but it doesn’t have to.”
Students debate what do do about non-point source pollution during a Socratic Smackdown.
In honor of this year’s Muskegon Bike Time, which is July 13 – 16 in downtown Muskegon, WKTV will be airing the highlight reel of the Muskegon Bike Time 2016.
The half-hour show, produced by WKTV volunteer producer Gary Vande Velde
aka GV Wheels, will air on WKTV 25 this Thursday, July 13, at 1 a.m. and will repeat on Friday, July 14, at noon followed by by DMX Sports Blessing of the Bikes. It also will air on Saturday, July 15, at 12:30 p.m.
The 2016 event marked the 10th anniversary of the annual Muskegon Bike Time, which attracts more than 100,000 people and 75,000 bikes from across the country. The goal of the event is to produce entertainment opportunities in Muskegon aimed at attracting a broad spectrum of motorcycle enthusiasts for a vacation experience on Michigan’s West Coast.
The event’s activities include the Relentless Stunts Show featuring a motorcycle stunt team performing an array of nonstop action acrobats. There also is the Harley-Davidson Rushmore Experience Demo Rides along with the Blessing of the Bikes and the Patriot Ride on Sunday. The four-day event also will have food and plenty of live entertainment.
As beer continues to remain popular in Western Michigan and across the state, the Michigan Brewers Guild has labeled July as Michigan Craft Beer Month with the celebration of the Guild’s 20th anniversary.
Michigan Brewers Guild was created in 1997, hosting its first festival in July 1998. This year, produced by its members Breweries, the Guild will again be hosting four festivals dedicated exclusively to Michigan Craft Beer. The festivals attract more than 3,500 people each year, according to supplied material.
The first event, the Michigan Summer Beer Festival will take place July 21-22 at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti’s Historic Depot Town. Other upcoming festivals include: Saturday, Sept. 9, UP Beer Festival, in Marquette; and Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27-28, Detroit Fall Beer Festival, at Eastern Market in Detroit.
With the number of breweries and brewpubs, Michigan ranks 6th in the nation — with claims of being The Great Beer State.
For ticket and more information visit MiBeer.com .
Bell’s announces coffee milk stout offering
Comstock’s Bell’s Brewery recently announced its new addition to its beer offerings, set to be released this fall as part of its specialty lineup.
Arabicadabra, a coffee milk stout with ABV of 5.5 percent, made to debut on draught in 12-ounce bottles, packaged in six packs, this upcoming October, according to Bell’s.
“This year, we are changing things up a bit,” said Laura Bell, CEO of Bell’s. “Arabicadabra is a different take on a coffee stout and very similar to a local favorite that was released at our pub and at some events. It’s time to share it with an even larger audience.”
The beer was inspired by Milchkaffe, another Bell’s specialty beer, which debuted 2015, with the mix of milk stout.
For more information on this upcoming beverage visit bellsbeer.Com .
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health will host Family Day Camp, an annual event for families coping with cancer, from 3-5 p.m. every Thursday afternoon, July 13 through Aug. 3. Camp will be held at The Cancer Center at Metro Health Village, 5950 Byron Center Ave. SW.
A free four-week program, Family Day Camp provides education and emotional support for families that have a loved one battling cancer.
“Family Day Camp is a fun, supportive environment that gives participants a chance to learn about cancer and its effect on the family,” says Metro Health – University of Michigan Health President and CEO Michael Faas. “It helps families form stronger bonds with each other, while also connecting with other families that understand what they’re going through.”
Each two-hour session will be packed with fun for all ages. The entire family is invited, from newborns to great-grandparents. Children may participate without an adult, though families are encouraged to attend together.
“We’ve gathered the best family fun activities from around Grand Rapids and brought them all to the Cancer Center at Metro Health,” says Laura Smith, Cancer Center director. “We want families to be able to have some fun together while someone they love is battling a disease.”
Activities and educational topics will vary depending on the day. Families can participate in one or all of the four sessions:
July 13: Someone I Love is Sick (about cancer)
July 20: Battling the Bad Guys (about cancer treatment)
July 27: I’m Still Me (about changes in loved ones and routines)
August 3: Happy or Sad, the Good and the Bad (how to express emotions and support each other)
Participants are invited to meet at the big tent beside the cancer center. There’s no charge and no need to register in advance.
Family Day Camp is hosted by Metro Health Child Life Services, a department that specializes in helping children cope with illness, injury and hospitalization. The annual camp is funded through donations to the Metro Health Hospital Foundation.
For some people, being resilient is a way of life. As early as five years old, one Arbor Circle Homeless Youth client was removed from her mother who was selling drugs. During the course of multiple foster home placements and other times when she was physically and sexually abused, she was separated from her siblings and left completely on her own.
She dropped out of school in the 9th grade and ran away — again — staying with friends and other family members for short periods of time. She lived this way for years.
She then began prostituting herself with landlords for places to stay. When she came to Arbor Circle to see about the Homeless Youth program, she had just been told to leave a shelter home.
TheBridge of Arbor Circle is a safe shelter program for youth who are facing homelessness or considering running away. In the middle of crisis, The Bridge offers youth a stable and accessible place to stay. Along with a variety of supportive programs,it helps them connect with peers, learn new skills, and find resources to reconnect with their families, schools and community.
How it works
The Bridge provides crisis shelter, counseling, case management, group support, youth activities and connections to other needed services, The Bridge assists youth with meeting their basic needs, setting goals, building new life skills, and establishing connections with peers and mentors who can support them. Services include:
Shelter services available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for up to 21 days
Crisis Intervention
Intake/Assessment
Counseling
Case management
Placement
Community education and prevention services
Service learning opportunities for civic engagement
Eligibility
The Bridge services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year to youth in need of safe shelter and supportive services due to issues such as safety, runaway/homelessness, and/or disconnection from family, school or community. Services are available for:
Youth between the ages of 10-17, both Male and Female
Youth staying/residing in the Counties of Kent, Ottawa, Montcalm, and Ionia
Youth/families in crisis can call or walk in anytime
Services are free
Are you or is a youth you know homeless or considering running away? The Bridge can help. Call toll-free 1.877.275.7792 or call 616.451.3001.
Arbor Circle’s main campus is located at 1115 Ball Ave. NE in Grand Rapids. Phone 616.456.6571 for more information. The Bridge 24-hour Hotline is: 616.451.3001.
Editor’s Note: This story was first published in August 2016
Gloria Tungabose’s eyes flash as she tells of her father, killed in Burundi. Her mother’s ethnicity was Tutsi and her father’s was Hutu, and the two groups were engaged in a bloody civil war. Her mother, Butoyi, was arrested.
“My mom went to jail and was raped there and had my sister,” said the East Kentwood High School student, describing how men measured her mother’s nose to determine her ethnicity.
The family moved to Congo, where violence also raged, Gloria said. They eventually arrived at a refugee camp in Namibia, living off rations of flour, beans, oil, sugar and salt, carrying drinking water to their shelters and going to school. She was 10 years old, and would remain there for three years.
Rwandan refugee Sifa Nyamuhungu and Gloria Tungabose join each other at the lunch table
Sponsored by a local organization, Gloria moved to Michigan four years ago, to discover a place where snow falls in the winter, people ride daily in cars and buses and where she can go to school with students from many different backgrounds. Now she can graduate from high school, go to college and become a nurse.
“I feel like it’s a dream and I’m still sleeping. Am I in America, really?” she asked. “I just have to live life and accept the reality in it. Even though the past was horrible and bad, I want to make my future better and help people in the future.”
Gloria’s story is similar to many refugee students who attend East Kentwood High School. They’ve escaped war. They’ve ridden on top of trains to elude dangerous gangs. They’ve seen family members murdered. They’ve crossed oceans and lived in refugee camps. They’ve faced religious and ethic persecution unlike most Americans ever experience.
Now they are seated at their desks Monday through Friday, reading literature, learning algebra, studying U.S. history and taking Michigan Merit Curriculum tests. They dream of careers, financial security, a future without violence.
Fresenai Haileselassie, from Eritrea; Arafat Abdikarim Yassin, from Somalia; and Mohamed Hisabu, from Eritrea, are refugee students who attend East Kentwood High School.
A Mosaic of Backgrounds
School diversity is often painted with a broad brush: white, black, Hispanic and Asian. But in Kentwood Public Schools, where students there come from 89 different countries, that picture is much more detailed. Diversity means students hail from all over the globe: from bustling Indian and Chinese cities to mountainous Balkan countries, to African tribal communities.
“We have 61 languages spoken here, which creates unique challenges,” said Erin Wolohan, an interventionist who works with students learning English. “We have many, many languages and cultures, so we have to come up with unique solutions.”
Many students speak half a dozen or more languages, a result of growing up in several countries, as their families fled areas and resettled in others. Gloria speaks Swahili, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, English, French and Portuguese. She has already graduated out of the English Language (ELL) Learner program, and her accent is barely detectable.
“I feel great. I am surrounded by different cultures. I feel at home,” she said.
Unique Challenges
Newcomers arrived in waves to the Grand Rapids area from Bosnia, Kosovo, Vietnam and other Asian countries, Burma, Nepal and Africa. Many have moved to the Kentwood area because of housing availability. In the 8,856-student Kentwood Public Schools district there is an English-language learner population of 1,686 students, 19 percent of the district.
“For the past two decades Kentwood Public Schools has experienced a demographic shift within our student population,” said Shirley Johnson, assistant superintendent of Student Services.
One way the district has responded is to provide cultural competency training to all employees to address the numerous challenges: logistic, communication and cultural. Teachers help with transportation and in reaching parents who don’t have cars or driver’s licenses, and who work second- and third-shift jobs. The district spends approximately $60,000 annually on translation services.
Two Kentwood schools, Meadowlawn Elementary and Crestwood Middle, have Newcomer Center programs for which students receive full-time, intensive ELL instruction. The high school also has many newcomer classrooms. Recently, in ELL social studies teacher Carlotta Schroeder’s class, students from Nepal, Burma, Congo and many other countries finished their first-semester exams.
Damber Chhetra, who came from Nepal five years ago, said his family came for better opportunities. “It’s a better life. I can have a better education,” Damber said. “I like the way the teachers teach. It’s different. They are so nice to the students.” He wants to become a computer engineer.
Burundi refugee student Gloria Tungabose gets her lunch.
Students Settle Where Housing is Available
Families often live in apartments, and children who come unaccompanied by parents live with foster families and have church sponsors. Many high school students, without families to take them in, begin living on their own.
There are several reasons the Grand Rapids area became a destination for refugees, Johnson said. Grand Rapids participated in the resettlement of refugees even before 1980, when the Refugee Resettlement Act was passed authorizing more organizations to help facilitate refugee migration to the U.S. Some local agencies include Bethany Christian Services, Lutheran Social Services and West Michigan Refugee Education & Cultural Center.
Placement of refugees is based on housing availability. Resettlement agencies work with landlords to get fair and affordable housing, said Susan Kragt, executive director of the West Michigan Refugee Education & Cultural Center, located in Kentwood. Because Kentwood and Grand Rapids school districts have newcomer center schools, most refugee children end up in those schools.
School is sometimes entirely new for refugee children. Many come from non-urban areas without formal education systems, putting them behind academically. For teachers, nothing can be assumed or taken for granted, ELL Interventionist Wolohan said. Even the volume of someone’s voice can seem aggressive to non-English-speaking students.
Students have cultural differences and experiences that affect attitudes toward education, the roles of men and women and how they interact with each other. They may have never seen snow before, so aren’t prepared for cold winters. There’s also pressure from family members for teenagers to go straight to work to make money, Wolohan said. Kentwood teachers encourage them to stay in school because they will make more money in the long run, she said.
Adjusting to the Culture
A key piece in breaking down barriers is helping students and their families adjust to U.S. culture, as well as educating teachers about their needs, Kragt said.
The center works with refugee students through its School Impact Program. The program provides orientation sessions for students and parents; holds workshops for educators on the resettlement process and the cultural backgrounds of refugees; hosts panel discussions with refugee students and offers eight-week peer support groups for middle- and high-school students.
Workshops inform educators about students’ prior school experiences, and alert teachers to the symptoms of culture shock and trauma that can leave refugee students feeling isolated and depressed, Kragt said.
“Unfortunately, sometimes our kids get bullied,” she said. “We talk about the trauma of what they’ve been through, but sometimes it can be more traumatic trying to fit into a new culture… Their classmates are looking at them going, ‘You’re different.'”
Also, Wolohan added, it’s incorrect to assume students are here because they want to be. While many came for a better life, often they wish they could have stayed in their own countries.
“It’s a lonely life, it’s a hard life. They know they are better off than where they were, but it wasn’t their idea,” she said. “It’s not like they woke up one day and said, ‘I want to live in America.’ We have that misnomer that we think they should be so thankful to be here, and they are grateful, ultimately. But that doesn’t mean they don’t miss their families. If they could go back to their homeland and have it be more free, they would.”
Nepali refugee students Bhim Chuwan, Chandra Subba and Jog Sharma have come a long way to be part of the EL program at East Kentwood High School.
A Welcoming Environment
Teachers are encouraged to lead by example in the classroom, giving other students “less permission to pick on that kid,” Kragt said. “These kids are not going to be the ones going around introducing themselves to everybody. They need people to reach out and say, ‘Hey, how are you?'”
The big picture is to help students acclimate permanently. A successful school experience is crucial to refugee families’ fortunes in America, Kragt said. Without students learning English, graduating high school and going on to college, refugees are apt to stay in an “enclosed community” apart from the broader society.
But in schools where there may be 21 foreign languages in one classroom, teaching is “a pretty daunting task,” she noted.
Her center provides after-school tutoring and other programs to help students catch up. More broadly, it strives to provide a welcoming culture for refugee resettlement in West Michigan. When Gov. Rick Snyder last fall sought to pause the state’s acceptance of Syrian refugees due to terrorism concerns, Kragt accused him of “leading with fear rather than reason” in a teleconference sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan.
“We have a strong history of welcoming refugees (in West Michigan), and a lot of people are informed about refugee resettlement,” she said. “That’s allowing us to maybe push back on some of the misinformation that’s out there.”
Just walking the halls at East Kentwood High School helps dispel fears and promote acceptance. Students are often dressed in native clothes, speak their native languages and celebrate their traditional holidays, all while navigating the U.S. education system.
Wolohan said refugee students and the perspectives they bring add to the richness of the district.
“It’s an education you can’t buy,” said Wolohan, who’s had four children in Kentwood Public Schools. “What we have here doesn’t exist anywhere else. I think this is one of the most diverse schools in the country. For my own children, it’s given them more acceptance of other cultures and also a world view. It brings the world to them.”
That kind of attitude is one of the district’s core values, Assistant Superintendent Johnson said.
“We believe that our district reflects the real world. As students prepare to live and compete in a global market place, they will fully appreciate the rich differences among their peers, understand the value of diversity and be equipped to successfully interact within a multicultural society.”
SNN reporter Charles Honey contributed to this article.
The City of Wyoming’s yard waste drop-off site will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. through Saturday, July 15 to allow for storm damage clean up. The drop-off site, located at 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW, will return to normal hours on Monday, July 17. The site is free to Wyoming residents and they are encouraged to continue assisting with the clean-up efforts.
The City will also be performing a city-wide pickup of branches and trunks starting today. All debris must be stacked neatly in the parkway areas between the curb and sidewalk. Homeowners are asked to have this material ready for pickup by Monday, July 17.
While this is not a regular service provided by the City, leaders feel it is necessary due to the severity of the storm. “We generally do not provide yard waste pick-up after weather events, unless they are extremely severe in nature such as last year’s tornado. There are extra costs associated with these services, and we always seek to use our resources in the most judicious ways,” said Curtis Holt, City Manager for the City of Wyoming. “Due to the severity of last weekend’s storm we feel we should assist residents to the extent we’re able. Our thanks go out to all of the residents who have already cleaned their properties and brought debris to our yard waste drop-off site. Their efforts are tremendously helpful and we hope they will continue to assist us.”
The cleanup effort will be performed by both City staff and contractors. City staff will be removing small piles of debris, while contractors will remove larger piles throughout this week and next. At this time, residents do not need to call Public Works to request pickups.
As a young kid, Adam Khafif was already developing a sense for business, working in his off-school hours for the family’s cookie business. In high school, he launched a streetwear company, completing his first sale – to his aunt! With the dauntless spirit of an entrepreneur, Adam sharpened his focus, majoring in business at Babson College and cementing his vision for his LSNP clothing line. Today, he sells hip clothing, all the while incorporating his core values that set LisnUp apart in a very competitive industry.
Cutler Park was filled with bluegrass fans as Macey Jane Williams, 7, took the stage and was part of the kick-off show at the Sounds of Summer Cutlerville.
Proud daddy, bluegrass singer and songwriter Lare Williams and his band members from New Direction smiled as Macey sang one of Williams’ original songs.
Lare Williams with his daughter Macey Jane.
Sounds of Summer Cutlerville hosts free community concerts every Thursday evening in July starting at 7 p.m. This week the series “rocks out” with the Lakeshore-based band Bettie Paige which is fronted by the ever amazing and entertaining John Merchant. According to organizers it should be a great night of music and a variety for all tastes.
Concerts are taped through WKTV and aired throughout the summer. Television showtimes are 8 p.m. Tuesdays; 10 p.m. Fridays; and 9 p.m. Saturdays.
Fuentes is a professor of music at Calvin College and he also enjoys composing music for theater, television and the concert hall. (Photo courtesy Calvin College.)
David Fuentes believes it is impossible to find a piece of music that is not about who we are and what we care about. “In fact, I even offer $500 to any student that can find one,” said the music professor. “I’m not out any money yet.”
Fuentes addresses this in his writing for, Vocation across the Academy, a book collaboration with NetVUE, a nationwide network of colleges and universities. NetVUE is working to create resources that empower students in vocational exploration, said Fuentes. Fuentes contributed chapter five, “To whom do I sing, and why,” addressing the place of music in human flourishing.
Fuentes began his musical journey when his mother picked up his first instrument, an accordion, at a garage sale. From then on, said Fuentes, he had a knack for music and liked making up his own songs. Since then, Fuentes has enjoyed composing music for theater, television and the concert hall as well as teaching a number of Calvin’s music courses.
Music as vocation
The topic of vocation is particularly important to Fuentes because part of his job is to help students uncover their personal calling and understand how much of their lives will be directly related to music. “For some this will be 100 percent, for others it will be a smaller part,” he said.
Fuentes believes the way students approach education has changed over the years. In the past, it was about learning reasoning and critical thinking, he said. Then, in whatever field you pursue, you would be pulling from a pool of knowledge. “Students today are trying to be practical about what they are going to go into. If they don’t have a job right out of college, they feel like a failure.”
Fuentes said students are often so focused on finding a career that they forget to ask: What are my gifts and loves? How can I contribute to God’s Kingdom? Educating students about vocation helps them fine-tune and understand all of their giftings, he said. It also gives students permission or a calling to help people.
“I have been nervous about pursuing music as a major for the longest time, but I definitely felt more comfortable after taking his class,” said Alexia White, a student of Fuentes.
Why music matters
Each semester Fuentes asks his students: Why does music matter in human lives? Are people just listening because they like it or is there something deeper?
“I assumed that when I took this class it would be about how music is only meant to bring glory and honor to God,” said White. “But Professor Fuentes helped us understand how that can be one purpose for music, but music can help us explain our biblical worldview. Music can teach us about God, others and ourselves.”
In the chapter he wrote in Vocation across the Academy, Fuentes tackles the issues of artists creating only for self-expression and audiences expecting a profound emotional experience with every artistic encounter. According to Fuentes, this is only a small part of what music can do.
“Sometimes people use music to escape; music is good at that. We go into a different state of mind and can experience great emotion there. On the other hand, music can help us delve into issues,” said Fuentes. “The deepest and most profound emotions come when we realize something. Rather than escaping from reality, music can bring us deeper into reality,” said Fuentes.
“There are two basic ways human beings make sense of the world: rationality and intuition,” said Fuentes. “Music brings those two together beautifully.”
Copyright Calvin College, reprinted by permission.
At the Government Matters Meeting were, from left, Greg VanWoerkom, District Director for U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-2nd); City of Wyoming Mayor Pro Tem Sam Boll; and Kent County Commissioner Harold Mast. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters meetings bring together government leaders of all levels and topics often range from local libraries to Washington. D.C. politics. You can see for yourself as WKTV replays the meetings.
At the July 10 meeting, discussion on the current state of healthcare reform took center stage as Greg VanWoerkom, district director for U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Michigan 2nd District), gave a status report to the other government officials and representatives.
Greg VanWoerkom, district director for U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Michigan 2nd District). (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“Really, all the eyes have been on the Senate the past two weeks, what their strategies are regarding healthcare, and we hope to hear more information on that this week, ” VanWoerkom said. “Everybody is watching every senator and what they are saying about it.”
Rep. Huizenga has consistently called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
“What we are seeing, with the Affordable Care Act, is that more and more people are not having options to purchase (medical insurance) in the individual market,” VanWoerkom said. “Counties, states, individual insurance companies are just dropping out of that exchange marketplace at a pretty good clip. … the Affordable Care Act is not working.”
To see the entire discussion, check out WKTV’s replay of the meeting (link below).
The Chamber’s Government Matters meetings include representatives of the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, Kent County, local Michigan House of Representatives and Senate, and, often, representatives of other State of Michigan and federal elected officials. The next meeting will be Aug. 7 at Wyoming City Hall.
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 Cable Channel 25. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktv.viebit.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is now giving away free of charge the life-saving medication, Narcan, to patients upon discharge who experience an accidental or intentional opioid overdose. These kits are funded through a generous grant from the Metro Health Hospital Foundation.
Opioids, like heroin and common prescription pain medications, have been associated with overdoses at epidemic levels nationally. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, more than 33,000 people died because of opioids in 2015. The Center also reports that nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. In 2015, Metro Health’s emergency department treated 285 drug overdoses with 190 of those being actual or potentially opioid related.
“Opioid use is on the rise, and so are overdoses,” said Dr. Marc Afman. “Overdoses can be accidental or intentional. We also know that if a person has one overdose, they are far more likely to have a second, and that one could be fatal. An overdose can happen to anyone. By distributing these kits, we are helping to save lives by providing education, community resources and Narcan; an antidote (reversal) for opioids.”
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is distributing Narcan in nasal spray form. Narcan is a prescription medication used to reverse the dangerous life-threatening effects of opioids. An overdose is a medical emergency. Narcan does not take the place of emergency medical care, and 911 should be called when it is used.
The hospital’s goals for distributing these kits include:
eliminating the need for the patient to travel to a pharmacy to fill a prescription for Narcan;
removing any financial barriers that would prohibit a patient from obtaining a kit at a pharmacy;
educating the patient and caregivers regarding appropriate use; and
reducing the amount of deaths in the community related to opiate overdoses.
“At Metro, we want to be clear about one thing: we do not encourage the improper use of opioid drugs; rather, we recognize that Narcan used immediately by family and friends could save the life of someone they hold dear,” said Pete Haverkamp RPh. “We recognize that not all overdose victims are using illegal drugs, and whatever the cause of the overdose, we want to provide life-saving tools to those who may need it the most.”
“Our mission at Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is to improve the health and well being of our communities,” said President and CEO Michael Faas. “The focus of this program is to be proactive and do what we can to curb the spread of this health epidemic. That’s why we are so pleased to provide these kits—free—to patients upon discharge who have overdosed on an opioid.”
Each Narcan kit includes two doses of the spray. Instructions are printed in English, Bosnian and Spanish. Also included in the kit are instructions indicating how to recognize an overdose, initiating emergency response by calling 911, and how to administer the life-saving medication, Narcan. Additional information includes a list of community resources where an individual, or family member, can find local help, including support groups, shelter, food, addiction services, crisis lines and counseling.
Stabenow, Peters Accepting Applications from Candidates Interested in Nomination for Federal Judgeship and U.S. Attorney in Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters have announced they are accepting applications from qualified persons interested in nomination for federal judge or United States Attorney. There is currently one vacancy on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and one vacancy on the United States District Court for the Western District. Both U.S. Attorney positions are also vacant. Interested candidates should request an application by emailing judicialnominations@stabenow.senate.gov. Applications are due no later than July 31, 2017.
Peters Amendments to National Defense Authorization Act Passed by Senate Armed Services Committee
By Zade Alsawah
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, authored several provisions and amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets policy for the Department of Defense (DoD) for Fiscal Year 2018. The legislation was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.
Senator Peters also cosponsored several provisions that were approved by the Committee, including a provision to require the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to conduct a study on the health implications of PFAS in drinking water, as well as an amendment authorizing funding to support the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, encourage partnership between MEP affiliates and the Manufacturing USA Institutes established by DoD, and improving manufacturing engineering education. MEP is a public-private partnership dedicated to providing technical support and services to small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Senate Commerce Committee Approves Peters’ Amendments to Strengthen Airport Security
Amendments Included in Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill
By Zade Alsawah
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today approved several amendments authored by U.S Senator Gary Peters (MI) to help strengthen security and protect travelers outside of Transportation Security Administration (TSA)-screened areas in local airports. Recent incidents at airports in Ft. Lauderdale, Brussels, and Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, have highlighted vulnerabilities to coordinated and lone-wolf attacks in public areas like baggage claims or pick up and drop off points.
In Grand Haven, Senator Stabenow Joins “All Hands on Deck” Event on Lake Michigan to Highlight Importance of Protecting Our Great Lakes
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today joined community members at the Grand Haven State Park for the “All Hands on Deck” Great Lakes event. The event was one of 64 local events happening in communities and at public beaches in six different states to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our Great Lakes and funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
“All Hands on Deck” was started by Kimberly Simon of Charlevoix in March, 2017 to raise awareness and bring people together in a nonpartisan way to advocate for our Great Lakes. Kimberly launched the idea after the Trump Administration proposed eliminating funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. For a complete list of the more than 30 events happening in Michigan, visit https://allhandsondeckgreatlakes.org/communities-participating/ and for more information, visit https://allhandsondeckgreatlakes.org/.
Peters, Stabenow Urge Department of Defense to Explore Efforts to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs in TRICARE
By Zade Alsawah and Miranda Margowsky
U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis asking him for timely consideration of a pilot program to improve access and reduce the costs of prescription drugs in the TRICARE program, which serves active duty military personnel, National Guard, reservists, retired service members and their families.
Currently, all TRICARE beneficiaries must get non-generic medications from a military treatment facility (MTF) or through mail order, but have no option to visit a pharmacy in person. The pilot program, which was established in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, will allow beneficiaries to get their medications from local pharmacies while preserving access through the existing MTF and mail order systems, and reduce costs by allowing the Department of Defense to purchase non-generic medications at the same lower rate it pays for drugs dispensed through the mail or MTFs.
The pilot will also provide additional options for the families of retired servicemembers, National Guard members and reservists who may not live near an MTF to visit a pharmacy in person to purchase their medications. There are more than 97,000 TRICARE beneficiaries living in Michigan, but there are no military treatment facilities in the state.
For the first time in its history, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) will be a venue for ArtPrize.
GFIA has been a sponsor and welcoming point for artists and visitors for several years, and decided to sign on as a venue for the 9th annual art competition, given the connection to the community. Seven artists will have art displayed at the Airport, which includes both indoor and outdoor work.
“We are thrilled to be a part of ArtPrize in more ways than one, and serving as a venue will not only give visitors a first impression of our city; but it will hopefully bring in those from around West Michigan into the airport to see the art and check out our newest facilities,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “The Ford Airport strives to be reflective of the people and events in West Michigan, and what better opportunity is there to do so other than partner with ArtPrize? We look forward to welcoming in both local and international artists, and look forward to seeing their talents on display.”
ArtPrize is an open, independently organized international art competition which takes place for 19 days each fall in Grand Rapids. More than five hundred thousand dollars in prizes are awarded each year, which include a $200,000 prize awarded entirely by public vote and another $200,000 prize awarded by a jury of art experts.
Any artist working in any medium from anywhere in the world can participate. Art is exhibited throughout downtown Grand Rapids—museums, bars, public parks, restaurants, theaters, hotels, bridges, and for the first time – the Airport. Over eight years, 2.9 million visitors have cast 3.2 million votes and artists from around the country and world have received $4.1 million in awards.
“In addition to their stunning renovations, we are excited to expand the ArtPrize boundaries to include The Gerald R. Ford International Airport allowing visitors from all over the world to experience — an vote for — the work of ArtPrize Artist on their first and last stop in West Michigan,” said ArtPrize Executive Director Christian Gaines.
Grace Bible College’s Kate Shellenbarger, with Wyoming police Det./Lt. James Maguffee. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Many college students live in a sort of societal cocoon, inside the walls of their schools and surrounded by their friends and classmates. Some are barely able to decide what classes they want to take each year, let alone their career path. They often change their majors multiple times as they progress through their late teens and early 20s.
Grace Bible College’s Kate Shellenbarger is not your ordinary college student. No less a witness than Wyoming Police Det./Lt. James Maguffee would testify to that fact.
Soon after she arrived at Grace, the soon-to-be junior at the Wyoming college ventured off campus and waded into the murky midst of a possible local example of the nationwide problem of human sex trafficking — and her determination to “do something” about it has brought her recognition from the City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety.
She also has decided that combatting the problem of human trafficking is the educational and career path she is driven to by her small-town upbringing, her Christian-based morals, and her ever-expanding world view.
Shellenbarger already had some knowledge of the human trafficking issue, from her high school, having been involved with the “One Dress, One Month” idea, where someone wears the same plain dress for a month to invite people to open a discussion on the issue. She brought the “One Dress” idea to her new college, but then she amped up her advocacy.
“I come from a small town in Ohio, so it was different there than it is here, in a big city, like Grand Rapids,” Shellenbarger said in an interview with WKTV. “When I came here, I had a friend who I talked with, talked to her about human trafficking. She was the one who saw something and told me and we said, ‘Lets look up and see what this particular business is.’ It looks kind of sketchy to me.”
It was a massage parlor that attracted their attention — a business that can often be legitimate and operated by law-abiding persons, but can also be the location of illegitimate but hard-to-prove criminal activities such as prostitution. And where there is prostitution there is often human trafficking.
“I got kind of mad,” Shellenbarger said. “I knew it was right down the road. I didn’t understand why it was happening right in front of my face — right here and right down the road. So I called the police. … I was hoping they were already doing something about it. That was my hope.”
Working with local authorities; not just complaining
It was then that she began her discussions with the City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety, specifically Maguffee.
This story “is a 20-something college student cold-calling the police department and waiting until she got to the right extension to talk to somebody — there is patience involved even with that,” Maguffee said. “Really, it is just a willingness to call and have a discussion with your local law enforcement about your concerns, and see where that conversation goes. In this case, … [Shellenbarger] and I talked and we had mutual concerns, things we had both seen. But instead of her just making it a ‘I’m making a complaint, now go do something about it!’, she and I were able to say, ‘Hey, what can we do together?’. What can we do next? That’s when the conversation really can get going.”
Through Maguffee, and others, she learned more about the problem and local groups working on the problem of human sex trafficking. (For more information on the subject of human sex trafficking, including a WKTV Journal — In Focus discussion with Wyoming police department’s representative on two groups battling the problem and a link to an award-winning locally produced documentary, “Stuck In Traffic”, see related story here.)
Much of what Shellenbarger found out, many of the avenues she saw to get involved, frustrated her.
“I wanted to do something right now, and a lot of them were ‘You can do this when you get this degree’ or ‘You can do this when you turn this age’,” she said. “I was getting frustrated, but then I found S.O.A.P.”
Other groups working on the problem
Shellenbarger’s discussion with Maguffee led her to the Kent County Human Trafficking Taskforce, a Western Michigan victim-advocacy group which includes the local chapter of Women at Risk International (WAR). (For more information on an upcoming conference led by representatives of WAR, see related story here.)
And a seemingly small activity working with WAR during the 2015 run of ArtPrize led Schllenbarger to “do something now” — she decided to volunteer with WAR and other local groups working on the S.O.A.P. Project (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution), to deliver soap to area hotels and motels — soap wrapped in paper with the telephone number of a hotline to help victims report and escape trafficking crimes.
“There were a lot of people — men and women and kids, all helping to package soap,” she said. “There were a group of girls from Grand Valley (State University) helping me pass out the soap.”
Working with WAR’s S.O.A.P. project in 2015, inspired her to lead a can drive to raise funds for the 2016 S.O.A.P. project — both at her college and, with Maguffee’s help, throughout the City of Wyoming. That combined effort led to about 4,000 cans and about $400 to buy soap to be distributed to motels and southern Kent County.
It also led to Shellenbarger being honored this March at Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s annual award ceremony, and to her deciding to change her educational and career path.
“It boosted my confidence a lot. I showed me that I can do something right now, even being a broke college student, I can do whatever I put my mind to,” she said. “As far as my career, I wasn’t planning on doing anything associated with criminal justice — I was going to get into human services, to be a child psychologist. But that changed once I realized how passionate I was about this.”
She added that she hopes to work with Wyoming Police Department through a college internship, then, maybe, go to work with the FBI, or a nonprofit in the field, or doing research on the issue, she said.
As far as her continued work with the Wyoming Police Department, Maguffee said he would not be surprised by anything Schllenbarger does.
“To me, this is the important moral of this, especially for people like … [Shellenbarger] and other young people who are interested in getting started and making a change,” he said. “It is really patience over the long term.
“The cynic could talk about her and say that [only a little was accomplished] through a lot of effort — collecting $400 and buying toiletries with a hotline number on them and distributing them to hotels. That’s a great thing. And my hope is that some exploited individual will call one of those numbers and get some help.
“But even if that doesn’t happen, all of this is worth it because a group of young people at Grace Bible College are saying ‘Hey, there are some things going on that we can have an impact on’.”
‘Tis the season for office parties and coffee breaks over holiday treats. While many enjoy these opportunities for more casual office interactions, it can also open the door to negative conversations and gossip.
According to a survey from Fierce, four out of five employees surveyed work, or have worked, with someone who is negative. Use these tips to keep the negativity to a minimum:
The Gossip
If you talk to someone who makes outrageous claims, you can politely challenge the information by asking “Is that a fact?” Or, “Did someone tell you?” These questions will make it clear that you only want to talk about factual things. Hopefully they’ll leave the gossip out of future conversations.
The “Venter”
This is the person who always needs to “vent” about something. Their conversations quickly turn from positive to negative. You can easily leave the conversation before things get out-of-hand by saying “I have to get back to my to-do list.” Or, “I need to finish a few things before the day’s over.”
The Negative Nancy
Sometimes you can’t avoid working with your negative co-workers. If a conversation starts to turn negative, you can quickly change the direction by saying “There’s too much negativity these days. Let’s focus on the positive.” While this person may not like the redirect, it will help alleviate the uncomfortable position of listening to their toxic conversation.
While you’re sharing a mug of hot chocolate at your company holiday party, make sure you do your part to shift negative conversations to positive ones. If the conversation swings back to negativity, stay but don’t contribute or politely excuse yourself.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
For real-time updates from the City of Wyoming, go here.
The City of Wyoming’s yard waste drop-off site will be open 24/7 through the weekend to allow for storm damage clean up.
The drop-off site, located at 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW, will return to normal hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 10. The site is free to Wyoming residents. Go here for more info.
The City is currently working to repair storm damage as quickly as possible. Trees blocking a roadway or a power line can be reported to non-emergency dispatch at 616.530.7300, ext. 1. For information on power outages, go here.
For more information, follow the City on Twitter @WyomingCityHall and on Facebook here.
As of 11:30 am, the City of Wyoming has issued a PARK CLOSURE & STORM DAMAGE UPDATE: Please exercise caution when visiting any park or trail during this weekend.
BUCK CREEK TRAIL. Closed.
PINERY PARK: Closed.
HILLCROFT PARK: Playground & shelter closed. Trail and general park area open.
LAMAR PARK: One section area closed. Disc golf open. All other areas of park, including splash pad are open.
ORIOLE PARK: No power – splash pad not working as a result. All other areas are open.
DOG PARK: Overhanging tree limb over access road requires caution – avoid. Dog park is open.
FROG HOLLOW: No power. Playground open.
LEMERY PARK: No power. Playground, tennis courts, active play areas open. Buck Creek trail closed.
From the City of Wyoming: “We cannot anticipate and identify all concerns immediately. Again, look up & down when visiting any park or trail following storm events. Exercise caution and report (message) any concerns.”
For real-time updates from the City of Kentwood, go here.
City of Kentwood crews are cleaning up debris and fallen trees on city streets and sidewalks. Remember, it is the property owner’s responsibility to clean any debris from your yard. At this time, Kentwood does not have debris drop-off, but they are currently assessing the situation.
The City of Grand Rapids accepts yard waste from non-residents for a fee at 2001 Butterworth SW.
The City of Kentwood reminds residents to contact Consumers Energy if you see a downed line. Downed Line phone number is 800.477.5050 — and stay at least 25 ft away from the line. More information about what to do with a downed line can be found here.
Consumer’s Energy is working to restore power. Please check their outage map for more about your location.
As of 10 a.m. today, Friday, July 7, Kent County Emergency Management has been working since the early morning hours to determine the severity of storm damage throughout the County. Thus far, no injuries have been reported due to storm damage in Kent County.
Public works crews throughout the County are working to remove debris in roadways and utility crews are working to repair downed power lines.
More than 50,000 people lost power in Kent County this morning.
“Because of the busy activity of our responders, we are not going to run the monthly siren tests throughout Kent County at noon today,” said Jack Stewart, Emergency Management Coordinator for Kent County. “Monthly testing will resume August 4. We want to focus today’s efforts on the more immediate needs of our communities.”
Kent County Road Commission has additional crews working to remove large trees from roads.
“Much of the work is from Five Mile Road through southern Kent County at this time,” said Jerry Byrne, Director of Operations of the Kent County Road Commission. “Right now, the Alto area has significant damage, with trees in the road on Whitneyville Avenue and on Buttrick Aveune SE. If you see our crews, please either turn around or proceed with caution.”
Central dispatch in Kent County has been
Storm damage (from photo archives)
busy responding to calls all morning. Kent Count Emergency Management staff reminds residents:
If you see a downed power line, do not approach it!!! Call 911.
If you have lost power, report it to your energy provider either by phone or online.
If you plan to use a power generator, follow manufacturer instructions. DO NOT use a generator in the garage or basement of a home and make sure there is good clearance for exhaust to move away from your home. Carbon monoxide, the gas that is produced by a generator, can be odorless, tasteless and deadly.
Now is a good time to make sure you have a plan for storm-related damage. Make sure you have a week’s supply of water, several days of non-perishable food, flashlights/batteries, a first aid kit, and a weather radio. Several apps are available for smartphones, including weather warning apps and incident preparation apps.
Aw, isn’t that baby animal just adorable? Maybe you’re tempted to scoop him up and turn him into a pet — after all, he must be starving, because mom isn’t around, right?
Not necessarily. In fact, if you intervene, you could make things a lot worse.
Baby mammals
Mammal babies are usually born naked with their eyes shut and require a lot of care from their parents. People are often tempted to take in mammal babies and try to raise the babies themselves. This is a bad idea. Not only is it illegal to do so without the proper permits, but it is dangerous for the animal and yourself for multiple reasons:
Misfeeding or Dietary troubles
People will try to feed mammal babies, and they will often end up having the babies choke to death on the food. Many people are under the misguided impression that since it is a baby animal, they should get milk from the store and feed that to it; however, only humans and cows can digest cows’ milk! Baby animals are lactose intolerant, which means that drinking milk will cause diarrhea, which may result in death (due to dehydration and lack of nutrition).
Mammals can carry a variety of diseases.
For example, raccoons can carry distemper, rabies, and a roundworm parasite that can be transmitted to other mammals, including humans. The parasite finds its way into the body and can burrow into the brain.
Squirrel siblings
Another problem is that of imprinting.
People who don’t know how to properly rehabilitate animals will end up with imprinted babies — even skilled rehabbers can have problems with imprinting babies. So, when the cute baby mammal turns into a mean adult mammal, and you try to release it, it can come right back and not be afraid of you, other humans, or people’s dogs and cats. Imprinting makes it easier for these animals to be hunted or injured, and there have been attacks on people by imprinted animals, particularly children.
About bunnies
Baby rabbits are often found in backyards. Rabbits will make nests in shallow depressions in the ground, in grassy areas. These areas are often near edges of forest, by fences, and under shrubs. Before you mow the lawn or rototill your garden, you should check the area for rabbit nests, and if you find one, just work around it and wait a few weeks; the babies will be ready to leave and get out of your way.
Bunnies are born with their eyes closed and no fur. Their ears are close to their head. Bunnies are on their own when they are around 5 inches long and furry, with their eyes open and ears up. They may still hang out with each other near the nest for awhile before going their separate ways. You don’t want to bring these older bunnies to a wildlife rehabber, since they don’t need help, and bunnies tend to become stressed out very easily and could die from just the transport to a rehab center. It’s a good idea to make sure they need help before trying to help them, or you could do more harm than good.
Baby bunnies
If you find a nest with bunnies inside that are too young to be on their own, unless they look injured, leave them alone. The mother will come back, but not until dusk and dawn. So, you won’t see her coming back to the nest. If you’re worried that the mother isn’t coming back to the nest, put flour around the nest and place some twigs in an X formation over the nest, and check back the next morning. If the flour and/or twigs have been disturbed, the mother hasn’t abandoned her babies. If you happen to touch one of the babies, just put it back and gently touch the others so they all smell the same. The mother will still accept them, just make sure you don’t handle them much.
It is not a good idea to move a rabbit nest, but if you can’t wait a week or two for them to leave, or if you have already disturbed the nest, you can try to move it. You should move it to an area as close as possible to the original location, in an area that has some longish grass, possibly under a shrub. Put the fur that was in the old nest in the new one, and cover the bunnies with dry grass. Again wait till the morning to see if the nest was visited by the mother, using flour and twigs.
