Summer is the worst season to deal with hot flashes.
In the winter, you can get at least some relief by cracking open a window to let in the arctic air.
In the summer, not even air conditioning is enough. The days and nights are hot enough already—you shouldn’t have to face hot flashes, too.
If this has become your reality, it’s time to learn what to do to make these hot flashes go away.
Too hot, too cold
First, it’s important to understand why a hot flash happens.
A hot flash or night sweat is the body’s way of cooling off. The blood vessels in the skin are commanded to open, or dilate, and blood rushes to the surface, allowing heat to escape.
Sweating goes along with this, of course, further allowing the body to cool.
Women will say they glow or radiate heat during a hot flash. That’s exactly what’s happening.
Hot flashes often happen in the years before menopause, in the days before a period, and then more frequently in early menopause because estrogen levels are low.
Estrogen is a powerful regulator of temperature regulation. When estrogen levels drop, the thermostat gets very sensitive.
The comfort zone changes from a comfortable 4 degrees to a narrow range of 0.4 degrees. This is why many women in perimenopause or menopause say, “I’m always too hot or too cold—never just right.”
The body’s air conditioning—hot flashes—can also be triggered by sudden stress. The adrenaline rush can flip the switch.
High blood sugar, even after eating something as simple as a little cookie, can also trigger it. It can also happen 30 minutes after that cookie, when the blood sugar crashes.
Alcohol can trigger a hot flash, too. Many women will agree that drinking wine at dinner can cause night sweats.
Failing to drink enough water can cause hot flashes to increase in frequency and intensity. Weight gain can also make the body warmer and harder to cool.
Sleep-deprived women may experience hot flashes more frequently. Fluctuations in brain chemicals—brought about by situations involving chronic stress, for example—can also increase the frequency of hot flashes.
Finding hope
By understanding why hot flashes occur, women can avoid the suffering and begin to find solutions.
The most effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats is estrogen medication.
It’s not compounded, but available by mail-order or from your local pharmacy.
Estrogen medication is safer than most people think.
We have many good studies to back that up.
Even a low dose of estrogen—much lower than normal ovary function back in the day—can reduce hot flashes within seven to 10 days.
If a woman has a uterus, she needs to take a progesterone with the estrogen. This can often help with sleep, too.
Safety comes first—and for some women, estrogen is not safe. We go through a checklist before prescribing it.
If estrogen is not the treatment of choice, the next best medication is the same class of drugs used for depression and anxiety.
This is used not because the woman has depression or anxiety, but because the medications can increase serotonin.
Serotonin makes the thermostat less sensitive and reduces the frequency of hot flashes, almost as effectively as estrogen.
Ultimately, you have to build the right foundation for treating hot flashes. This entails a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight.
About 80% of women have symptoms that interfere with their quality of life.
But there is hope.
SEEDS (Seven Essential Elements of Daily Success) is the best place to start.
It begins with water—80 ounces per day—and 50 hours of sleep each week.
It also involves daily activity and exercise, a multivitamin and vitamin D and a healthy diet rich with complex carbs, smart protein and healthy fat. Limit yourself to just one treat per day and make sure you get all the fiber you need.
Practice metered breathing and gratitude.
As you do more SEEDS each day, you’ll experience fewer hot flashes.
The SEEDS approach can help in everyday life, too.
Kent County Community Action (KCCA) is hosting a public forum on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 2 p.m. to discuss the community’s needs and KCCA’s services for the next three years. The event will be held at KCCA’s office located at 121 Franklin SE, Grand Rapids in Multi- Purpose Room A and B.
KCCA has partnered with Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based research and project management firm, to conduct this public forum with community members and service providers to determine the underlying causes of poverty within a community and to identify available resources.
“We are encouraging residents from all walks of life to participate in the forum so we can successfully work together to end poverty in Kent County,” said KCCA Director Susan Cervantes.
The community forum will integrate the preliminary findings of the Community Needs Assessment, which KCCA is federally required to conduct every three years, and raise awareness of poverty.
“The findings from the Community Needs Assessment will guide our decision-making and service delivery,” concluded Cervantes. “It is important for the community to participate in this process as it will help shape future services for Kent County which will ultimately lift individuals and families out of poverty.”
Immediately following the public forum, attendees will celebrate the 55th Anniversary of Community Action. President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation on August 20, 1964, to establish a War on Poverty stating that “this administration here and now declares unconditional war on poverty.” Since then, more than 1,000 community action agencies nationally work every day to create opportunities and transform the lives of community members, including KCCA.
Marcelo Lehninger, the musical director of the Grand Rapids Symphony, on stage from a previous concert. (Supplied)
How Much Are Those Tickets?
To celebrate its 90th anniversary, the Grand Rapids Symphony decided to give a little gift to its patrons: 30 percent off all tickets to its fall performances. This includes such concerts as the Queen of Soul, Sept. 27; “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” Oct. 18; “Ghostbusters” Oct. 31; and Symphony Fantastique with Itzhak Perlman Nov. 7. But you better hurry if you want to snap up this deal as it will only be around until Aug. 23. For more information, visit grsymphony.org or call call 616-454-9451.
Opa! The festivals continue!
Last week was the Glimpse of African and the Hispanic Festival, this week the Greeks and the Danes take center stage. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church will be hosting the Yassou Greek Festival through Sunday at the church, 330 Lakeside Dr. NE. There will be music, food, dancing, food, entertainment and did we mention food? How about drink, because there will be Greek beer and wine as well. For more information on the Yassou Festival, visit www.grgreekfestival.com. In Greenville, the Danish Festival is well underway but there are still plenty of things to do and see this weekend. There is a parade, arts and crafts, museum tours, children’s activities and of course beer and food. For more information, visit www.danishfestival.org. And just a heads up, the Polish Festival is scheduled for next week, Aug. 23!
Go Take a Hike!
As summer begins to wind down and the kiddos head back to school, there is still a lot to do with many adventures that can be done in a weekend. Three is skeet shooting at Blendon Pines Gun Club in Zeeland; in Ludington, hit the lake or the large outdoor inflatable park, Jump Around Fun Center; or take the wine-tasting kayak tours of Omena Bay, Bubbly on the Bay. for more Michigan adventures, click here.
Fun Fact: Oh Fiddlesticks!
On this day in 1930 — specifically August 16th — the first sound cartoon to be produced in color (using two-color Technicolor processing) was released, and no, it was not a Disney cartoon. Rather it was the work of a former Disney cartoonist Ub Iwerks, who released it through his newly formed, Iwerks Studios for Pat Powers’ Celebrity Productions. The name of the cartoon was “Fiddlesticks.”
As the summer draws to a close, Michigan State University Extension suggests parents and caregivers address back-to-school basics now to help their children get the school year off to a good start.
Back-to-school time is an exciting time for most children — it’s a time to make new friends, reconnect with old friends and meet new teachers. As exciting as school can be, however, it often is a source of anxiety for children. As the summer winds down, take time to plan ahead for the start of school to avoid complications and reduce anxiety.
Ten tips to help your child be ready for the school year
Visit the school. Most school buildings open a few weeks before the first day. Take your children to school for a tour. Where is the lunchroom? The playground? Where do they hang their coats? Where are their classrooms? How do they get from the front door to the classroom? Many schools offer a special open house or picnic, a time to meet up with old friends and make new ones. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.
Meet the teacher. Once the coveted teacher assignment arrives in the mail, plan a meet-the-teacher visit. Call ahead to see if you can make an appointment to stop in and say “hello.” Help your child find their coat hook, locker, desk, etc. Talk with the teacher about any concerns you may have and any special needs, allergies or other issues that may arise.
Make new friends. If your child is new to the building, see if you can arrange for a play date with other children going into the same grade or in the same class. Having a few familiar faces that first day can help your child feel much more confident and comfortable.
Be prepared. Include your child in back-to-school shopping. Even kindergartners have strong opinions about what they would like on their backpacks or what they want to wear to school the first day. If the teacher has provided a supply list, take your child shopping to help select those special items.
Adjust the schedule. As the final days of summer draw to a close, start moving your child onto the school schedule. Those late bedtimes have been fun all summer but not so much when kids have to get up and moving early. Begin by moving up bedtime 10 to 20 minutes a day until you have adjusted children to their normal school-day bedtime and wake-up time. Remember, elementary school-aged children should be getting 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night.
Practice the routine. In the last few days before school starts, take time to run through a typical school morning. Get your child up and dressed as if they were headed to school. After a healthy breakfast, head out to the bus stop or the car on time. Look for potential glitches in your routine and plan ahead to avoid “morning madness.”
Think safety. As you plan for your child’s day, think about safety coming and going from school. Walking, carpooling and riding the bus present different potential safety risks. Talk to your children about their specific situation and make sure they know how to cross streets safely, are using an appropriate booster seat in a car if needed, or that they understand bus rules. More back-to-school safety information can be found at SafeKids.org.
Immunizations and physicals. Check with your child’s pediatrician to be sure immunizations are up to date. Back-to-school time is a good time to schedule annual well-child exams. An exam may be required if your child is planning to participate in a sport. More information about the Michigan school vaccine requirements, as well as contact information for your local health department, can be found online at the Michigan Department of Community Health website.
Plan for healthy meals. Research has shown that kids who eat a healthy breakfast and lunch get better grades and are more attentive at school. Talk with your children about what they would like to eat and help them choose a well-balanced selection of “brain foods.” More information on children’s nutrition can be found at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlatewebsite.
Assistance is available. Your family may qualify for nutrition assistance through the National School Lunch Program. This federal program provides for free or reduced-price school lunches and in some cases breakfast as well. Contact your school’s nutrition program for an application. Some districts make this application available online. Many community agencies also offer additional back-to-school support, such as free backpack events and discounted or free school supplies and clothes. If you are in need of support to help get your children ready for school, be sure to contact your local community service agencies for more information on events in your area.
Taking time to plan ahead for the new school year is well worth the effort. Confident, calm, well-rested children are more likely to have an excellent first day and a fabulous year ahead. Let’s help our children start the school year on a positive note.
Health care can be costly. Doctor visits, medicine, braces and glasses are some expenses you have to pay for beyond an insurance premium. The good news is there are ways to manage your health care costs to save money. This article will focus on four personal and financial reasons to have health insurance. Also look for related articles on smart choices to pick health insurance plans and special health savings accounts.
If you do not have health insurance, check it out. You may be surprised at the affordability. Many Michigan residents who selected plans through HealthCare.gov are getting financial assistance to lower monthly premiums. Others were determined eligible for Medicaid, the Healthy Michigan Plan, or MiChild. Take the first step and find out how much financial help for which you could qualify. So you may pay now with some peace of mind if you get sick or injured, or pay later with no benefits.
Financial Protection
Health insurance helps protect your family’s financial future. Health insurance helps pay costs when you need care and protects you from very high medical expenses. You may not feel that you need health insurance right now — health insurance is for helping manage risks — in this case potential future health problems.
In 2013, over 20 percent of American adults were struggling to pay their medical bills, with three in five bankruptcies due to medical bills. Sometimes we are quick to blame debt on poor savings and bad spending habits. However, research shows the burden of health costs causing widespread indebtedness. Medical bills can completely overwhelm a family when illness strikes,” says Christina LaMontagne, VP of Health at NerdWallet. Furthermore, 25 million people hesitate to take their medications in order to control their medical costs. Unfortunately, this can lead to even worse financial outcomes as preventive treatments are not rendered and patients end up using expensive ambulance and ER care as their health worsens.
Prevention Services
Many health insurance plans offer services and programs to help keep you healthy, thus saving you time and money over time. The Affordable Care Act includes free preventative benefits for adults at no cost to you, without charging you a copayment or coinsurance. This is true even if you have not met your yearly deductible. In addition to annual wellness visits, some plans also offer benefits such as personal wellness coaching, healthy pregnancy programs, gym membership discounts, nutrition counseling, online seminars/webinars, checklists, tools and calculators.
Better Health Outcomes
If you and your family have adequate insurance coverage, based on your health care needs and wants, and use your health insurance as it is intended to be used (prevention visits, immunizations, etc.), this can lead to overall better health for everyone. Even if you have a pre-existing health condition, you cannot be turned down or charged more for health insurance.
Open Enrollment in the Marketplace is in the fall. Consumers should visit HealthCare.gov to check the dates, review and compare health plan options. If consumers who were automatically reenrolled decide that a better plan exists for their families, they can make that change at any time before the end of open enrollment. If income and family size indicate eligibility for a government health insurance plan, you will be redirected to that enrollment site.
Consumers can find local help at Localhelp.healthcare.gov. You can also call the Federally-facilitated Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325. Translation services are available and the call is free.
In summary, three key reasons to see what you qualify for are that 1) There are different types of plans available so you can find coverage that meets your needs and budget, 2) Preventive care is free, including cancer screenings and wellness checkups and 3) Quality care no matter what. You cannot be turned down or charged more for being sick or having a pre-existing condition. Take the first step to check out how much financial help you could receive. Then make your informed enrollment decision.
Looking to add an adrenaline rush to your vacation? From zip-lines to deep water kayaking, West Michigan is full of unique adventures to make a memorable trip!
Upper Peninsula Adventures
Drummond Island Resort is the proud home of Turtle Ridge Off Road Vehicle (ORV) Park. Featuring over 300 acres of prime off-road trails, the course is carved out of the island’s natural limestone. The park, open year-round, offers an abundance of trails of varying degrees of difficulty, providing thrills and excitement for all those who experience it.
On the shores of Lake Superior, Marquette is a community where nature’s assets are on display through scenic vistas, rugged trails, and rushing waterfalls. From unique dining experiences, award-winning craft breweries, and a thriving art scene, Marquette embraces a culture anchored in artisanship and ingenuity. In August, Marquette has a number of adventure travel and racing events worth experiencing or participating in:
August Adventure Travel:
Falls are the foundation of the full Marquette, Michigan experience and Morgan Falls is just the one for the whole family. Just south of the city, this 20-foot waterfall is easily accessible and has cascades you need to see. Click through for a map of all the waterfalls in Marquette County.
Presque Isle Park is loved by visitors and locals alike and it’s no wonder why with its two miles of scenery and unforgettable views of Superior. On the drive there, along Lakeshore Boulevard, you might even spot two notorious rare white deer who sometimes stroll through the park. Find more details on one of the most visited places in Marquette.
Want to climb a mountain but make sure the crew can come too? Sugarloaf Mountain offers a more mild trek to the top than most, but there’s nothing short about the view of Marquette and Lake Superior from the summit. Click through for more Sugarloaf Mountain hiking resources.
August Racing Events:
Ore 2 Shore: On Aug. 10th, riders will gear up at the start line in Negaunee, where in 1844 iron ore was first discovered in the Superior region. The long-distance course travels through Ishpeming, past towering head frames from the heyday of underground mining, and then heads north into the beautiful wooded wilderness, crossing or running alongside of the Dead River all the way into Marquette to the Lake Superior shoreline.
Marquette Trail 50 Ultramarathon: On Aug. 16th and 17th, racers will participate in the eleventh edition of the Marquette Trail 50 Ultramarathon in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Marquette Trail 50 consists of a 50-kilometer and 50-mile event held on Saturday. The course is mostly single-track, climbing the four peaks: Sugarloaf, Top-of-the-World, Bareback, and Hogback. All the peaks have views of Lake Superior, and portions of the course skirt its shoreline.
Marquette Marathon: The 10th annual Marquette Marathon will be held on Aug. 31st, where athletes will participate in marathon and half marathon courses that have significant elevation drops, visit multiple Upper Peninsula cities, and travel through the scenic Iron Ore Heritage Trail.
For a stellar twenty-five seasons Keweenaw Adventure Company has been hosting world-class, professionally guided Lake Superior sea kayak tours and single-track mountain biking for all levels of experience! Prepare to be wowed by the Keweenaw Peninsula’s truly unique coastal lines and terrains for our mid-western region. Canoe, sit-on-top kayak, and SUP rentals are also available, along with eco-interpretive hikes and a shuttle service. Use promo code WMTA$25 to save $25-off any Day Sea Kayaking Tour!
North Region Adventures
Crystal Coaster Alpine Slide, Michigan’s only Alpine Slide, allows you to cruise down one of two parallel 1,700-foot-long curved tracks. You control the speed in this action-packed thrill ride with dips, high-bank turns, and spectacular views of the Crystal Mountain area in Thompsonville.
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
For over 30 years, Inland Seas Education Association of Suttons Bay has been teaching people about protecting the Great Lakes through their programs on tall ship schooners. Participants engage in hands-on activities as they collect lake samples and analyze them to determine the health of the Great Lakes. Some of the programs also collect microplastics. Individuals also get a chance to raise the sails and steer the ship. Click here for more information about ISEA public programs.
Take your wine-tasting trip up a notch with Bubbly on the Bay, wine-tasting kayak tours of Omena Bay Tuesdays and every other Thursdays through the end of August with Leelanau Cellars in Omena.
Explore the dunes and woodlands in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore afloat the crystal clear waters of the Platte River. At Riverside Canoe Trips on M22 near the Lake Michigan shoreline just outside of Honor, you’ll get an entirely different perspective from a canoe, kayak, tube, raft, or stand up paddleboard paddling the river which snakes through the breathtaking park.
Part of the 75-mile string of lakes and connecting rivers of the Chain of Lakes, and stretching 19 miles, Torch Lake is where Shanty Creek families head for days of sunshine and water adventure. Spend the day tubing, water skiing, and just enjoying the water and sun. Or, grab some wheels and ride. Study a map of Antrim County and you see roads bending to the will of geography. Curves and arcs and turns are dictated by lakeshores, threading rivers, broad wetlands, and ridges and valleys that rise and fall into the distance.
Central Region Adventures
Whether you’re looking for boat and jet ski rentals, bicycling and kayaking trails, or a Lake Michigan charter boat excursion, Ludington has you covered. Find boat rentals on beautiful Hamlin Lake, paddle the Pere Marquette or Big Sable river, head out on a sailing excursion on Lake Michigan, or catch a prized salmon on the big lake in a charter fishing trip.
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
Jump Around Fun Center in Ludington has an 11,000-sq-ft outdoor, inflatable park which includes three large, head-to-head obstacles for kids and adults to compete against each other. One is a 75′ long zorb track, where each person climbs into a “hamster ball” and races down a track. The others have climbs, dips, dives, and slides to get to the finish line. You will also find a Virtual Reality arcade for those who want to try a new kind of adventure. Game selection includes rock climbing, underwater exploring, and even an entire virtual amusement park with roller coaster rides, balloon rides, and many more options.
Zip Line at Snow Snake— Complete with TEN unique zip lines, the longest line is over 820 ft. long and the highest is over 75 ft.; that is taller than a five-story building.
Kayak/Canoe the Chippewa River — the stream runs 91.8 miles through the central Lower Peninsula. Whether you’re looking for a leisurely trip on the water or a full day of paddling, the Chippewa River is perfect for everyone.
Deerfield Nature Park— Deerfield Nature Park is perfect for adventurers — with over 8 miles of hiking and biking trails. The trails lead you down a path of natural beauty where you encounter swinging bridges, a covered bridge the famous Chippewa River and more.
John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids offers many unique experiences, including a gem and fossil sluice, a 600-foot zip line, and a four-story ropes course.
Ever wanted to learn how to fly fish on one of Michigan’s premier trout streams? Join the Pere Marquette River Lodge in Baldwin for a summer fly fishing school that will teach beginners how to fish for trophy trout using terrestrial flies, which imitate grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and other large insects. The school runs from Aug. 9-11 and includes two nights stay at the lodge, two continental breakfasts, two lunches, and a half day guide trip. The lodge offers cabins, riverside houses, a full-service fly shop, and guided fly fishing trips for trout and migratory species.
Spend the day on the water in Holland — rent a boat or a Jet Ski and take a high-speed ride through Lake Macatawa or on Lake Michigan. You can also rent a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddle board, should you prefer a calmer activity. Interested in wakeboarding, water skiing or kneeboarding, but don’t have access to a boat? Action Wake Parkin Hudsonville is the only full size cable park in the state, and just a 15-minute drive from Holland.
The goal of 1 Adventure Company in Macatawa is to give you the best experience possible. From group tours to 1-on-1 training, expert guides will craft your perfect adventure using the best techniques and newest equipment available.
Blendon Pines Gun Club in Zeeland is the perfect way to add a little excitement to your next company outing, party, or team building adventure. They offer a full course of skeet shooting to test your marksmanship ability with what they refer to as “golf with a gun”.
While Mecosta County isn’t exactly adrenaline junkie territory, there are a couple of locations throughout the county that offer a thrill for those in search. Find climbing walls, ropes course challenges, and paintball adventures on the Things To Do tab of the Mecosta County CVB site.
Plan your trip to Michigan’s largest amusement and water park, Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon before the end of summer. Featuring over 60 renowned rides and attractions, it’s the place to be for all adventure-seeking Michiganders.
Don’t wait for snow…luge in the summer! The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex is open Saturdays and Sundays in the summer from 10am-2pm, so you can enjoy a variety of warm weather sporting activities.
Experience the only wheel luge track in North America. Wheel luge is done on a specially designed track with the same sleds used on the ice, but with wheels attached. The design of the track, adaptive equipment, and surrounding common areas also accommodate persons with disabilities. Shorter than the ice track, average runs take approximately 9 seconds while covering 300 feet of track.
Learn Archery Fundamentals: Muskegon State Park visitors can stop by the Sports Complex for a round of archery guided by an instructor. All participants receive a quick lesson explaining the basic fundamentals of archery. Participants can then shoot rounds of arrows at the controlled archery range. This activity is fun for ages 6 and older.
Every third Friday of the month, you can go where no visitor has gone before on All Access Tours of the Lakeshore Museum Center’s Hackley & Hume Historic Site in Muskegon. Explore behind closed doors, including attics, porches, and basements of both houses. Enjoy different themed topics such as restoration, preservation, family stories, new discoveries in the research, the Hackley House during the Red Cross years, and the Hume home as a Daycare Center, as well as future projects. Get your tickets for the Hackley & Hume Scandal Tour, Aug. 22-24. Participate in this illuminating interactive event as a juror in a mock trial covering the scandalous untold stories of Hackley and Hume family members. Dive into the past and decide for yourself what is truth and what is fiction. Due to adult themes and topics, this program is not suitable for children. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets via Eventbrite.
Situated near one of the most popular beaches in Michigan, the view from the air at Skydive Grand Haven is truly a sight to behold. If you’re lucky enough to get on one of the last loads of the day, the outline of the Chicago skyline can often be seen in front of the orange sun setting on the water.
South Region Adventures
Lansing is located where the longest river in Michigan, the Grand River, meets up with the Red Cedar River. Navigating the Grand or Red Cedar Rivers is easy. What’s difficult is choosing whether you’d like to kayak, canoe, SUP, or hop aboard the Grand Princess for a cruise downtown or the Michigan Princess for a paddleboat experience. River Town Adventures offers kayak, canoe, and SUP (plus bicycle) rentals along with livery service for everything from a one hour paddle around right downtown to a half-day excursion. J&K Steamboats will let you ride in style on the big boats providing day and evening cruises with lunch, dinner, or themed party nights.
Courtesy West Michigan Tourist Association
Waldo Wright’s Flying Service in Portage (located at the Air Zoo) will take you on the adventure of a lifetime. This historic hotspot offers group or individual flights in legendary aircrafts that you won’t find anywhere else.
Water adventures abound in Coldwater Country. Grab a kayak or rent a pontoon boat to venture out onto one of the more than 100 lakes or travel the North or South Chain of Lakes. It’s easy to find an adventure on the water in Coldwater Country.
South Havenhas plenty of opportunities to fulfill your adventurous spirit. Rent a kayak or paddleboard and head out on Lake Michigan for a fun-filled on-water experience. Bring your bicycle, or rent one, and head out on the hiking and biking trails. The Kal-Haven and Van Buren Trails are the perfect getaways from the busy city. Check out one of the rental companies and gain inspiration through South Haven’s outdoors website page.
Grand Rapids has a great lineup of breweries and beers. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
My Beers City Passport is getting a little crowded but there are always new places to explore, and after all that’s why the passport has those blank pages in the back — pages which came in handy last weekend when my wife and I had a vision quest but needed MapQuest to find Speciation Artisan Ales in Comstock Park.
The quest was accomplished and our thirst was quenched, with a fruity sour beer for my partner and a hefty IPA for me. They are apparently known for their sour beers.
And what sort of a place is Speciation? As only one bit of evidence, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, the brewery and pub will host a Bill Murray Birthday Party when, they say, “We are celebrating the life and work of Bill Murray with a very special birthday party. Special Bill Murray themed beers served in custom Bill Murray glassware. Bill Murray themed trivia begins at 7 p.m., with Quizmaster Quinn. Costumes are encouraged.”
Not sure what a Bill Murray costume might be, but sounds like fun to me.
Check out this and other events at Speciation Artisan Ales — and how to get there — by visiting speciationartisanales.com .
Anyway, placing a new stamp in my passport got me thinking about what I’m missing these days, so thinking I have the Greater Grand Rapids area choices well in hand, and with the help of the West Michigan Tourist Association. I made a short list of places to visit not too far out to town.
In the Saugatuck-Douglas area, is the new Waypost Brewing Company in Fennville looks like a good day trip destination. You got to love their motto “Waypost brewing Co. is founded on the notion that good beer speaks for itself, and the best ones sing.” For more information visit here.
A little closer to home is Old Boys Brewhouse, in Spring Lake, which not only has a dog in their logo but also beers named “DogTail” and “Kennel King” IPAs and “His Porter is the Shih Tzu”. For more information visit here.
GR’s Beer City Fall Crawl starts at Downtown Market
Not that we’ll need a good reason to do a little bar hoppin’ on a (hopefully) beautiful fall September day next month, but the Grand Rapids Downtown Market has announced at “Beer City Fall Crawl” partnership with six other Heartside neighborhood businesses.
The crawl will take place Saturday, Sept, 15, from 1-5 p.m., and, according to supplied material, will take participants on a 1.5-mile loop starting and ending at the Market with six other stops in between — Craft Beer Cellar, Peppino’s Pizza, Tavern & Tap, The Grand Woods Lounge, Founders Brewing and The Tin Can, then returning to the Downtown Market. Each stop will have drink specials for participants, with participation costing $30.
Entry includes a t-shirt, a “Chugging Checklist” and a pint glass, with a free first drink at the Downtown Market bar, drink specials at each stop, and a $5 Downtown Market gift certificate.
With all that beer crawling, food consumption along the way is not only available but advisable, at the Downtown Market or along the route.
“Grand Rapids is known as Beer City, and we’re so fortunate to be in the midst of tons of great bars and breweries here in Heartside,” Amanda Gielczyk, VP of the Downtown Market, said in supplied material. “The Fall Crawl is a great way to partner with our neighbors and create a one-of-a-kind experience, and more importantly a reason for participants to support seven local businesses all in one day.”
Bell’s Two Hearted, celebrating a birthday, wins national awards
Bells’ Brewery his holding a two-prong, Two Hearted celebration this week. Not only idd the beer recently gain another national award, but Two Hearted Day, Aug.15, marks the anniversary that Two Hearted Ale debuted in 1997.
“Two Hearted Ale is a special beer for us at the brewery and for many beer lovers,” Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery, said in supplied material. “We’re excited to celebrate with everyone this week. It’s a celebration of all of the people who work tirelessly to make Two Hearted the best quality beer it can be every day. It’s also a tribute to all of the fans who love the beer and helped make it what it is today.”
Bell’s Brewery and two of its beers — Two Hearted Ale and Hopslam Ale — were recognized again in this year’s Best Beers in America survey from Zymurgy magazine. (Ya, that’s a real magazine!)
According to supplied material, Two Hearted was No. 1 in the Top-Ranked Beers category and Bell’s Brewery itself was named top brewery. This is the third consecutive year that Two Hearted has claimed this honor. It came in second to Russian River’s Pliny the Elder for seven straight years previously. Hopslam Ale also placed in the top-ranked beers list tied at No. 7.
Full personal connection disclosure: When in doubt at an unknown pub, if there is Two Hearted on tap, it’s mine. And, in case you’ve never tried Northern California’s Russian River brews, Pliny included, you should check it out.
Also, just so you know, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA), which publishes Zymurgy, annually chooses as favorites up to five of their favorite commercial beers available for purchase in the U.S. The full Best Beers in America list, which includes complete rankings on all the top beers, breweries and more, is available at HomebrewersAssociation.org.
A variety of for trucks will be at Kentwood’s End of Summer Food Truck Festival. (WKTV)
By City of Kentwood
The City of Kentwood and GR8 Food Trucks invites foodies and families to explore cuisine from nearly 30 vendors during the fourth annual End of Summer Food Truck Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14.
The free-to-attend community event will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. In addition to a cornucopia of food trucks, the event will also feature live music and a beer tent.
“Kentwood’s End of Summer Food Truck Festival is a great way to celebrate the last few days of summer sun in Michigan with friends and family,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “Our lineup of local eats, drinks and live music means a whole day of fun for the community.”
Food trucks attending the event include: Alt City Beverage Company, Babatürk Food Truck, Bavarian Inn Cluck Truck, Coffee Rescue, D&D’s Gluten-Free, D&W Street Eatery, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, Daddy’s Dough Cookies, Doughrunts, El Caribe Food Truck, Fire and Rice, Ice Box Brand Ice Cream Bars, Kona Ice of West Grand Rapids, Kool Breze, LLC, Lazy Man BBQ, Nick’s Gyros, NOM NOM Ninja, Patty Matters, Pig Out on the Fly, Porter’s Smokehouse, Pressed In Time, Saladino Smoke, Silver Star Cafe, Sleeping Bear Burritos, Specialty Cheesecake and Dessert Company, Summer Pops, Tamale Rose, Touch O’ Dutch and Underground Cookie Club.
Live music will start at 11 a.m. with The Bootstrap Boys, followed by DJ Snax, Molly and Last Gasp Collective. A beer tent featuring craft beer and cider will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“Food trucks are known for providing a great mix of creative bites from talented chefs with quick service,” said Alan Stone, president of GR8 Food Trucks. “Kentwood’s End of Summer Food Truck Festival is an opportunity to sample a variety of food while supporting several local businesses.”
While entry to the festival is free, cost for food and beverages varies by vendor.
On Monday, Aug. 19, WKTV will be featuring live coverage of the International Space Station Expedition 60 International Docking Adapter Installation Spacewalk.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Andrew “Drew” Morgan will venture outside the space station Monday morning for their latest spacewalk.
The international docking adaptor. (NASA)
Coverage begins at 6:30 a.m., with the spacewalk scheduled to begin at approximately 8 a.m. There will be live footage of the astronauts as they install the international docking adapter to the International Space Station.
On Wednesday, Aug. 21, WKTV will feature the launch of the un-piloted Soyuz MS-14 Spacecraft on a 2.1a Soyuz Booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Coverage of the launch starts at 11:15 p.m. with the launch scheduled for 11:38 p.m.
Live coverage continues on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 12:45 a.m. for the docking of the un-piloted Soyuz MS-15 to the International Space Station. The actual docking is expected to take place at 1:31a.m.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.
NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
Growing evidence suggests that lack of sleep may play a role in Alzheimer’s, and that getting enough sleep may be one way to reduce the risk of the memory-robbing disease. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Feeling drowsy during the day might mean you have an increased risk for Alzheimer’s, new research suggests.
The long-term study included 123 adults with an average age of 60 when the study began. The findings showed that those who were very sleepy during the day had a nearly threefold increased risk of developing brain deposits of beta-amyloid, a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings add to growing evidence that lack of sleep may play a role in Alzheimer’s, and that getting enough sleep may be one way to reduce the risk of the memory-robbing disease, according to the researchers.
“Factors like diet, exercise and cognitive activity have been widely recognized as important potential targets for Alzheimer’s disease prevention, but sleep hasn’t quite risen to that status—although that may well be changing,” said study leader Adam Spira. He’s an associate professor in the department of mental health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore.
“If disturbed sleep contributes to Alzheimer’s disease, we may be able to treat patients with sleep issues to avoid these negative outcomes,” he added in a Hopkins news release.
It’s unclear why daytime sleepiness would be associated with beta-amyloid protein accumulation in the brain, Spira said. And the study did not prove that sleep actually causes beta-amyloid to build up in the brain.
But it may be that poor sleep due to sleep apnea or other factors causes the formation of beta-amyloid through an unknown mechanism, and that these sleep disturbances also cause excessive daytime sleepiness.
“However, we cannot rule out that amyloid plaques that were present at the time of sleep assessment caused the sleepiness,” Spira said.
Animal studies have shown that restricting night-time sleep can lead to more beta-amyloid protein in the brain and spinal fluid, and some human studies have linked poor sleep with greater levels of beta-amyloid in the brain.
Sleep problems are common in Alzheimer’s patients, and beta-amyloid accumulation and related brain changes are thought to harm sleep.
“There is no cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease, so we have to do our best to prevent it. Even if a cure is developed, prevention strategies should be emphasized,” Spira said. “Prioritizing sleep may be one way to help prevent or perhaps slow this condition.”
The study findings were published in the journal Sleep.
Mitch Miller’s 1955 Chevrolet is expected to be on display at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Anybody who has rebuilt a classic car will tell you there are somethings that just have to be modernized, that some of the original mechanicals simply can no longer be renovated.
That is especially true with classic pickups, most of which were bought and used as work vehicles — farm vehicles often — including Mitch Miller’s 1955 Chevrolet, a now annual visitor at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise, this year on Aug. 23-24.
So while “Old Yeller” carries much history with it — including its original bright yellow paint job and his mother’s graduation tassel hanging from its rear view mirror — it also carries something few classic pickups possess: a fuel system running off of ethanol.
“It’s named ‘Old Yeller’ because it had that name, that color, when we bought it,” Miller said to WKTV. But in another way it is very, very different from when it was new or when it came into the family.
A Quick Fuel Technology carburetor, some new fuel lines and cleaned the fuel tank allows the vehicle to run on 85 percent ethanol . (Supplied)
“One of the interesting things is I converted it to E85,” he said. “I put a Quick Fuel (Technology) carburetor on it. Replaced the fuel lines and cleaned the fuel tank. It runs great on 85 percent ethanol and that is the only fuel I run through it now. That is kind of a thing (when he shows it off). I’m an ethanol producer, we have the NuVu (Fuels) gas stations, and we wanted to do a little bit of proving that ethanol can run great on older vehicles. It burns really clean and has good power.”
While the ’55 may have modern technology and a little bit of modern purpose associated with it, it also carries a family history that will be passed on in the family, Miller said.
“My father bought the truck in 1992, 27 years ago, in Bismarck, North Dakota … It was his favorite year of pickup. He was a Chevy guy for a lot of years,” Miller said. “But it had basically sat in a barn, in storage, for 15 years in Bismarck … I have had an interest in older vehicles, and have redone a number of vehicles — a ’74 Corvette, a ’68 Camaro — so I asked my brothers to ship that truck to me.”
As with almost any classic car rebuilt, the vehicle was in worse shape than he thought when it was finally parked in his garage — “A lot of pickups were used as farm trucks and they were really abused. I think they are more rare than the cars. … just preserving the history and keeping them on the road.
Mitch Miller’s 1955 Chevrolet “Old Yeller”. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“I spent the winter of 2016, into 2017, just going through all the mechanical. Brakes. We added power steering. Radiator. Rims and tires. Took the dash out if it, got all the old gages working. … We were having trouble with the original straight six cylinder motor and we put a Crate 350 in it. So it has a little more horsepower. So, just got it road worthy. … Now it’s a great cruiser. We use it on the Interstate. It’ll run 75 miles an hour down the road.”
And with a reminder of its family history hanging from its rearview mirror, it will likely stay cruising down the Miller family road for a while.
“When my dad first bought it, my mom put her 1970 graduate class tassel on the rear view mirror and that would never be touched by our family. That stays there,” he said. “This truck will go down to my brother’s son, or my son. It will stay in the family.”
WKTV Community Media will produce a 1-hour special live broadcast scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, on WKTVLive.org as well as on WKTV Comcast Cable Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and, later on demand at WKTV.org.
For more information Metro Cruise 2019, visit the chamber’s website at southkent.org and keep up on the latest news of Metro Cruise and DreamWheels at WKTVjournal.org.
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
We cannot begin to express our intense dislike for non-breakaway collars placed on cats who are allowed to go outside; plain and simple—they are NOT safe, and in Axil’s case, wearing one became traumatic.
We have no idea just how long he had been wandering around in a neighborhood nearby Crash’s with just such a collar digging into the tender flesh of his right armpit, unable to free himself from the shackle that had rubbed his skin raw until it embedded itself deep within the tissue since it had no other place to go. We also have no idea how he finally broke free—if a kindhearted person cut it off and cut him loose—but by the time he was rescued in late June of 2018, the delicate and dainty boy (born in June of 2014) was still suffering the consequences of that dreaded collar.
Sue realized he had a wound on the outside of his arm, but she had no idea just how damaged, raw and angry the skin was medially; it was not a pretty sight to see on such a pretty guy.
Axillary wounds such as his are very difficult to successfully treat, as healing is delayed drastically when a moist environment is present. Add in the fact that bacteria loves pockets such as armpits AND that it is an almost impossible area to bandage, and well, Dr. Jen had her work cut out for her.
For the first four weeks his skin was treated topically, first with therapeutic honey, then Silvadene cream, and although some healing had taken place, Dr. Jen had to go in and surgically debride excessive granulation tissue that his body formed in trying to heal itself. Dr. Jen then used silver nitrate to cauterize the open wound in hopes of stimulating healing and resumed treating kitty topically.
However, in August, Dr. Jen had resolved herself to the fact that nothing topical was going to cut it, and she ended up taking Axil to surgery to amputate the foreleg in order to remove the affected skin and delicately close the wound defect without causing too much tension.
When all was said and done, and Axil had spent several days at Dr. Jen’s home recuperating, one of our volunteers offered to foster him in order to keep a close eye on him; we were concerned he would overdo it at our free-roaming facility and wanted to give him ample time to fully heal.
Loves to lounge
Jan worked diligently for the next 6 months to slowly acclimate Axil into her furry fold, but no matter what she tried, our feisty little tripod took too much delight in terrorizing two of her shy cats to the point they had to be separated. It was with a heavy heart that she decided it was best for her household to return him to Crash’s, and although it broke her heart, she does get to visit him every week on her shift.
We were apprehensive as to how Axil would respond to now being a ‘big fish in a little pond’, but he has settled in quite nicely; in fact Tully, one of our biggest sweethearts is making it his personal goal to be Axil’s BFF, whether he likes it or not. Ideally we want to find Axil a home where he is the only cat, or at least have a buddy that will stand up to him when he gets a bit big for his beautiful britches!
In the meantime we are going to work with him on his manners and delight in seeing him hop around our place with ease and grace.
More about Axil:
Domestic Medium Hair
Black
Adult
Male
Medium
House-trained
Vaccinations up to date
Neutered
Prefers a home without other cats.
Want to adopt Axil? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Vishavjit Singh is a first-generation South Asian-American cartoonist, writer, and performance artist. He joins us to talk about growing up Sikh in North America, living in New York after the 9-11 terrorist attack, and using one’s superpowers for good.
Certain lifestyle changes can be most beneficial to women whose genetic profile puts them at increased risk of developing breast cancer. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
While genetics, such as carrying BRCA gene mutations, play a role in who is more likely to get breast cancer, everyday lifestyle factors are involved, too.
Research published in JAMA Oncology used data from thousands of women to identify which lifestyle factors in particular could affect a woman’s risk for breast cancer.
The study found that three specific steps could potentially prevent up to 29 percent of all breast cancers: Avoid alcohol and, after menopause, avoid both obesity and estrogen-progestin replacement hormone therapy.
The researchers noted that these recommendations could be most helpful for women at a high risk of breast cancer because of factors they can’t change, like genetics and their age at menstruation and menopause.
In fact, for them, having a low body mass index, not drinking alcohol, not smoking and not taking hormone therapy could lower breast cancer risk to that of the average woman.
The research has some limitations, however.
For instance, the study only looked at data from white women in the United States, not other ethnic groups. But these are lifestyle changes that can boost overall health for all women.
For more global advice, the American Institute for Cancer Research states that excess body fat is one of the strongest factors linked to a greater risk of breast cancer after menopause. So is abdominal fat, regardless of your body mass index (a measure of body fat based on height and weight).
The organization also warns that drinking alcohol can increase breast cancer risk before menopause and touts the positive effects of daily exercise and, for new moms, of breastfeeding.
The Kent District Library (KDL) Kentwood Branch Library. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
Kent County may be governed by the elected Board of Commissioners, but a ton of advisory and oversight work is done by various boards, commissions and committees, where members are often ordinary citizens with knowledge and/or interest in various fields and an interest in community service.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners, last week, announced it is seeking residents who are interested in serving the community through appointment to various boards, commissions and committees starting Jan. 1, 2020.
Among the Wyoming and Kentwood residency required positions are a position on the Kent District Library Board for Region 6, including Caledonia of Gaines townships, or City of Kentwood.
Any Kent County resident may apply by completing an online application form on the County’s website at accessKent.com/boardappointments. The application deadline is Sept. 30. Resumes and cover letters are encouraged for positions with specific skill sets required.
Among the boards, commissions and committees that have openings for terms effective Jan. 1, 2020 (unless opening otherwise noted) are:
Agricultural Preservation Board (openings for agricultural interest representative and real estate/development representative)
Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (Advisory Council and Board of Directors)
City/County Building Authority
Community Corrections Advisory Board (openings for media representative and police chief)
Community Health Advisory Committee (openings for at-large member, community-based organization, and health care provider)
Community Mental Health Authority (Network180) Board — term begins April 1, 2020
County Building Authority
Department of Health and Human Services Board
Foreign Trade Zone Board
Friend of the Court Citizen’s Advisory Committee (openings for mental health professional and non-custodial parent)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRFIA) Authority Board
Housing Commission
Jury Commission
Kent County Community Action Advisory Governing Board (openings for consumer, private, and public sector)
Kent County Family & Children’s Coordinating Council (openings for business representative, private agency representative, and private funding representatives)
Kent District Library Board (Region 2 — resident of Algoma, Cannon, Courtland, Grattan townships, or City of Rockford; and Region 6 — resident of Caledonia, Gaines townships, or City of Kentwood. Applicants must live in Region 2 or 6.)
Remonumentation Peer Review Group (must be a professional surveyor to apply)
Road Commission Board
Veterans Services Committee (must have served honorably on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces to apply)
For detailed information on meeting schedules and current board, commission and committee members visit here.
Questions about boards and applications should be directed to Pam VanKeuren in the Board of Commissioners’ Office, at 616-632-7580 or Pam.VanKeuren@kentcountymi.gov.
The portion of U.S. 131 between exits 80 and 81 has been named the PCF Nicholas H. Blodgett Memorial Highway. (Tom DeVette)
Remembering the heroes
Have you noticed some new signs along U.S. 131? The signs honor three fallen soldiers who were all from Wyoming: Army Private First Class Nicholas Blodgett, Marine Cpl. Ross Smith, and Army Specialist 4th Class Eric T. Burri. All three died during the Iraq conflict. State Rep. Tommy Brann introduced a bill earlier this year for the memorial highways with the signs being installed this spring. To learn more about the three men honored, click here.
Interim CEO Brian Picardat swears in new Police Chief Bill Nowicki (Ford Airport)
Wage theft can occur everywhere, in offices, on construction sites and in farm fields. (WKTV)
Fair Wage
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), last week announced he is conducting an investigation into illegal wage theft practices that “harm American workers.” And he is asking for worker input on possible wage theft in their lives. In a statement issued by his office, “wage theft violates basic fair pay laws and denies workers a fair wage for their work. It takes many forms, including failure to pay the applicable minimum wage, failure to compensate employees for overtime, and misclassifying employees as ‘independent contractors’ to avoid paying certain benefits or taxes.” If you are interested in sharing your story, click here.
I’ve Got a Gal…
So we are talking about our neighbors to the south, Kalamazoo. Michigan is the only state to have a city named Kalamazoo, which is believed to be a Native American name meaning “mirage of reflecting water” or “bubbling” or “boiling” water. It is the midway point between Detroit (142 miles to the east) and Chicago (138 miles to the west) and the home to some pretty famous businesses: Gibson Guitars and Upjohn, to name a couple. And of course, it is memorialized in that famous Glenn Miller song “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo,” which with the help of Bell’s Brewery, for some has become “I’ve got a beer in Kalamazoo.”
Top: Mark Smith, State Rep. Tommy Brann, and John Burri. Bottom: Susan Smith, Rita Blodgett, Joanne Burri. (Tom De Vette)
Story By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma joanne@wktv.org Photos by Tom De Vette Photographer and WKTV Volunteer
When John Burri drives down US 131 and sees the the brown-and-white sign with his son’s Eric’s name on it, he smiles a little.
“It is just what every parent wants who has lost a son, that he’s remembered. That a stranger would remember him and the sacrifice he made,” Burri said. Stationed in Iraq, Army Specialist 4th Class Eric Burri died on June 7, 2005 when an explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad.
Burri was one of three Wyoming residents who were killed while serving in Iraq. Army Private First Class Nicholas H. Blodgett died July 21, 2004 while serving during operation Iraqi Freedom when his patrol vehicle hit an improvise explosive device in Abdalluyah, Iraq. On Feb. 9, 2006, Marine Corporal Ross A. Smith died by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Fallujah, Iraq.
The U.S. 131 portion between exits 78 and 79 has been named the SPC Eric T. Burri Memorial Highway. (Tom De Vette)
Army Specialist 4th Class Eric T. Burri
The three men were honored earlier this year through House Bill 6025, sponsored by Rep. Tommy Brann, that would allow for portions of U.S. 131 to be designated as memorial highways. The three sections are all in Wyomig with the portion between exits 78 and 79 named the SPC Eric T. Burri Memorial Highway; between exits 79 and 80 is the Cpl. Ross A. Smith Memorial Highway; and the portion between exits 80 and 81 is now the PCF Nicholas H. Blodgett Memorial Highway.
“Eric knew the risk he was taking when he went over,” John Burri said when his son decided to enlist right after graduating from Kelloggsville High School. Burri said his son wanted to see the world, learn languages and meet different people.
Burri said Eric was touched by the poverty he witnessed, commenting to family members that if he could he would “give them the shoes off my feet.” After Eric’s death, as a tribute, the family organized a shoe drive for the children in Iraq.
The portion of U.S. 131 between exits 79 and 80 has been named the Cpl. Ross A. Smith Memorial Highway. (Tom De Vette)
Marine Cpl. Ross Smith
Ross Smith was the youngest of three and wanted to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and become a Marine. He enlisted before his senior year at Wyoming’s Park High School and was on his third tour of Iraq when he was killed. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Sue Smith commented that she has asked her son to reconsider his enlistment.
“He said they needed him even now more than before,” she said.
The portion of U.S. 131 between exits 80 and 81 has been named the PCF Nicholas H. Blodgett Memorial Highway. (Tom DeVette)
A Grand Rapids Central Catholic High School graduate, Nicholas Blodgett joined the army a couple of years after graduating from high school. Family members recalled that Blodgett wanted to be in security or a police officer so he enlisted in the Army in 2003. His former high school principal said he remembered Blodgett as wanting to stay involved, so he returned to the school the year after his graduation to help with the color guard.
Army Private First Class Nicholas Blodgett
Blodgett’s troop commander Capt. Cory Mack, remembered him as a “highly motivated and disciplined soldier, answering every question with ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘Roger sergeant.’”
Brann introduced the bill for the memorial highway designations earlier this year. The bill was approved with the signs installed in the spring. Brann hosted a special program in May for the families and friends at his restaurant, Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille, located on Division Avenue.
“It is not so much for me,” Burri said of the memorial highways. “It is to let my grandkids know that there uncle was here. That he was part of this community.”
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority (GFIA) announced today that William “Bill” Nowicki has been hired as its new Chief Airport Law Enforcement Officer.
Nowicki, who comes to Gerald R. Ford International Airport after 27 years with the Grand Rapids Police Department, was officially sworn in today.
“Bill is a tremendous addition to our airport staff and brings an array of law enforcement knowledge,” said GFIA Public Safety & Operations Director Lisa Carr. “Bill has an incredible resume and is well known and well respected among his peers. He brings a diverse set of experience and leadership to the department, and I am confident Bill will be a great fit with the team.”
Nowicki has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Ferris State University. He is also a graduate of the School of Police Staff and Command from Northwestern University, and a graduate of the Leadership Institute at Calvin College.
William Nowicki is the new police chief at Gerald R. Ford International Airport. (Ford Airport)
The St. Clair, Michigan native has an extensive background in law enforcement and has served as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Detective, and Patrol Sergeant. In 2004 he was promoted to Lieutenant and in that role, he has served as a Watch Commander, Administrative Lieutenant, and since 2013 he has served as the Unit Commander of the Vice Unit.
During his career at the Grand Rapids Police Department, Nowicki has received numerous awards including a Commendation Award, Team Performance Award, Achievement Award, Honorable Mention Award, four Unit Performance Awards, and many Letters of Commendation and Recognition. Locally, Chief Nowicki serves on the Kent County Opioid Task Force, Illicit Massage Industry work group, City of Grand Rapids Human Trafficking Task Force, and Ferris State University’s School of Criminal Justice Alumni Advisory Committee.
“I am thrilled to join the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority team,” said Nowicki. “The airport continues to grow, and I am looking forward to bringing my skills and knowledge of public safety and law enforcement into a new environment where security is held to the highest standard.”
“We pride ourselves on safety and security, and Bill’s experience will be a great fit in working with the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and building our internal law enforcement department,” said Brian Picardat, Interim CEO at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
Nowicki replaces Chief Rick Aro, who retired in March.
That’s the answer we’re looking for. But not many people—doctors or patients—give the bone-weakening disease the attention it deserves, according to Jodi Hamblin, MD, a bone health specialist.
“Osteoporosis is a lethal disease that is frequently ignored,” Dr. Hamblin said, explaining that the disease signals a problem with both the quantity and the quality of bone.
In the United States alone, half of adults age 50 and older either already have osteoporosis or are well on their way to developing it.
Silent and overlooked
The trouble is, osteoporosis doesn’t have symptoms, so most people don’t know they have it until they break a bone.
And even then, many patients don’t realize that osteoporosis was the cause of their fracture—when in fact, a low-trauma fracture almost always indicates osteoporosis in older adults.
“After 50, if you fall from a standing position and you break a bone, excluding your hands and feet, then you have osteoporosis,” Dr. Hamblin said. This type of break is called a fragility fracture.
Osteoporosis can also be diagnosed when a bone density test reports low bone density.
Research suggests doctors and patients tend to overlook the threat of osteoporosis.
According to a 2016 study by Northwell Health in New York, more than two-thirds of patients who suffered a hip fracture said their doctors didn’t tell them they have osteoporosis, and more than half said they weren’t given medication to treat osteoporosis after their fracture was treated.
This lack of information and follow-up is a huge problem, the study’s senior author said, because of the seriousness of hip fractures.
“You can die after a hip fracture, and you’re at great risk of prolonged complications,” said author Gisele Wolf-Klein, MD, in a statement. “You can also be left as an invalid—a fear of many older adults.”
Six months after suffering a hip fracture, only 15 percent of patients can walk across a room without help, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Getting on top of the problem
Bringing more attention to the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is the goal, said Dr. Hamblin.
By following up after a break and treating the cause of the bone loss or poor bone quality, doctors can help prevent future fractures.
Patients are more likely to sustain a secondary fracture if they are not treated for their osteoporosis, Dr. Hamblin said.
High-risk patients include:
Heart and lung transplant patients, who are at risk because the anti-rejection medications they take are bone weakening
Breast cancer patients, who are on estrogen-preventing medications that can cause bone loss
Gastric bypass surgery patients, who typically have bad absorption of nutrients so don’t get sufficient calcium and vitamin D—two essential nutrients for bone health
The care plan includes balance testing, nutritional counseling, bone density testing, blood and urine testing to identify risk factors, and medication review and management.
“Sometimes medications taken for other conditions can get in the way of calcium absorption or directly weaken the bone or even contribute to dizziness,” which can increase a patient’s risk of falling, Dr. Hamblin said.
Physical therapy can help people learn how to build bone through exercise and how to prevent falls, which are responsible for 90 percent of hip fractures.
“Fall prevention is half the battle,” Dr. Hamblin said. “If you have weak bones and you don’t fall, you may never break.”
Osteoporosis risk factors
In addition to the medical issues listed above, several other factors can put you at risk for bone loss and poor bone strength. Risk factors include:
Advanced age—this applies to both women and men, though the incidence of osteoporosis is higher in aging women because of a drop in hormone levels
Diabetes
Steroid use (5 or more milligrams a day for three months or longer)—this lowers bone quality in men and women equally
Overactive thyroid or parathyroid activity
Cigarette smoking
Regularly drinking more than two alcoholic beverages a day
Lack of appropriate exercise
Low calcium intake
Vitamin D, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency
“There’s an extensive list of causes for bone loss and for poor bone quality,” said Dr. Hamblin. “If we can get those conditions in order, sometimes that’s all we have to do.”
When medications are called for, doctors have a variety of options based on the patient’s situation. For example, some patients need medications that help build new bone, while others need medications to prevent bone loss.
The aim is to decrease the risk of fracture by keeping bone loss in check and by limiting the risk factors for poor bone quality.
A preventable disease
Of course, prevention is the best course of action, and osteoporosis is very preventable, Dr. Hamblin said.
“If we could get kids and young adults to improve their dietary calcium intake and have a good exercise program, that would be huge,” she said. “And if we could eliminate smoking and excessive use of alcohol, that would make all the difference for most people.”
Stroke survivors often face limited mobility, which quadruples their odds of osteoporosis, broken bones and falls. But most are never screened for these problems, new research reveals.
“Our study adds to previous research that found despite an increased risk, only a small number of people who have recently had a stroke are tested and treated for osteoporosis,” said lead author Dr. Moira Kapral. She is director of general internal medicine at the University of Toronto.
Impaired mobility can result in bone mineral density decline, which is associated with osteoporosis. The condition weakens bones and increases risk of fractures.
In this study, researchers looked at more than 16,500 Canadian stroke survivors, aged 65 and older, from Ontario.
Of these patients, only 5% had undergone bone mineral density testing, 15.5% had been prescribed medications for osteoporosis within the year after their stroke and only a small percentage were prescribed medications for osteoporosis for the first time.
Patients most likely to have bone mineral density testing tended to be younger, female and to have had low-trauma fractures in the year after their stroke.
Patients were more likely to be prescribed medications for osteoporosis after their stroke if they were female, already had the bone-thinning disease, had previously broken bones, had previous bone mineral density testing, or had fallen or broke bones after their stroke.
The study was published recently in the journal Stroke.
“This study offers more evidence that there is a missed opportunity to identify people with stroke at increased risk of fractures and to initiate treatment to prevent bone loss and fractures,” Kapral said in a journal news release.
Less than one-third of older U.S. women are screened for osteoporosis.
The maximum treatment rate for some high-risk patients is about 30%, the researchers pointed out.
Wage theft can occur everywhere, in offices, on construction sites and in farm fields. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, last week announced he is conducting an investigation into illegal wage theft practices that “harm American workers.” And he is asking for worker input on possible wage theft in their lives.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
In a statement issued by his office, “wage theft violates basic fair pay laws and denies workers a fair wage for their work. It takes many forms, including failure to pay the applicable minimum wage, failure to compensate employees for overtime, and misclassifying employees as ‘independent contractors’ to avoid paying certain benefits or taxes.”
“If you put in a hard day’s work, you deserve to get paid for it,” Sen. Peters said in the statement. “Yet every day, workers in Michigan and across the country are denied wages or benefits they have earned on the job. This investigation will help expose wage theft and develop ways to hold employers who break the rules accountable for actions that hurt hardworking families.”
As part of the investigation, Sen. Peters’ office would like to hear from workers who have been victims of wage theft, including instances where rightfully earned wages have been withheld or wages or benefits have been denied for work as an employee or independent contractor. Workers who have experienced wage theft can share their information with the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
To share personal experiences which workers think might be wage theft, please visit here.
According to the statement from Sen. Peters’ office, wage theft has serious financial consequences for workers and businesses who are trying to play by the rules. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that American workers are shorted as much as $15 billion in wages each year due to minimum wage law violations. And Michigan reportedly has the fifth highest total of unpaid wages in the country due to minimum wage violations.
According to EPI, from 2013 to 2015, roughly $430 million in wages were improperly withheld from Michigan workers. Misclassifying workers as “independent contractors” also negatively impacts law-abiding taxpayers.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, millions of employers nationwide have failed to pay more than $45 billion in employment taxes. These practices deprive the federal government of billions of dollars in unpaid employment taxes that are used to fund Social Security, Medicare and other benefits.
In Michigan alone, a study released in 2008 found that Michigan loses tens of millions of dollars annually from misclassification practices – depriving the state of dollars for projects like highway and infrastructure upgrades, educational programs, or public hospitals.
When possible, prune oaks in winter. Especially avoid pruning mid-April to mid-July.
Immediately seal wounds on oaks damaged during the growing season.
Don’t move firewood.
History and range of oak wilt
Oak wilt, caused by the fungal pathogen Bretziella fagacearum, was first reported in Michigan in the 1970s. It is now found in 56 counties with potential to impact at least 149 million red oak trees across over 20 million acres of Michigan land.
Trees at risk
Red oaks, those with bristle-tipped lobes, die rapidly from oak wilt within four to six weeks. Red oaks in Michigan include northern red oak, black oak, northern pin oak, pin oak, scarlet oak and shingle oak.
White oaks, those with rounded lobes and no bristles, or with large regular teeth, will slowly decline and likely die. White oaks in Michigan include white oak, swamp white oak, bur oak, chinquapin oak, chestnut oak and dwarf chestnut oak.
Symptoms and signs
Note the pointy, bristle-tipped lobes on this northern red oak. Bristles indicate the species is a red oak. Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org.
When an oak tree is infected, the fungus grows throughout the water-conducting xylem vessels and the tree responds by producing structures called tyloses to attempt to wall in the fungus. This blocks water flow through the tree, causing the wilt symptoms seen with this disease.
An infected tree is often first noticed when leaves suddenly drop or turn brown in the summer months. Leaves may be brown, somewhat bronzed or partially green. Red oak trees may be dead and defoliated within four weeks of infection.
This white oak can be identified by its rounded lobe leaves. Photo by Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org.
Since there are other pest, pathogen and environmental problems that may cause symptoms similar to oak wilt, a branch sample must be sent to a diagnostics laboratory for an accurate diagnosis. On trees that have been dead for six to 12 months, a mycelial mat may be visible underneath a bark crack. Presence of a mycelial mat or laboratory verification from a living tree that is showing symptoms are the only ways oak wilt can be confirmed.
How oak wilt is spread
Oak wilt spreads rapidly in multiple ways.
An oak with symptoms of oak wilt. Photo by Monique Sakalidis, MSU.
Overland transmission occurs when Nitidulid beetles (commonly called sap beetles) pick up spores while feeding on mycelial mats on infected trees then transfer them to fresh wounds on healthy trees. This creates new sites of infection (infection centers).
Underground transmission occurs when fungal spores move between connected roots (root grafts) of infected and healthy oaks. This type of spread outwardly expands pockets of dead trees (infection epicenters).
Moving wood from infected oaks can start infection sites because mycelial mats can form on wood cut from infected oaks, providing a source of infection.
Prevention
Prevent overland transmission of oak wilt by strictly following guidelines for safest pruning times and care of trees damaged during spring and summer. The safest time to prune is in the winter months when sap beetles are not active. The worst time is mid-April to mid-July when beetles are most likely present. Some beetles will be active throughout the summer and early fall. If a tree is damaged and pruning is required during the warm growing season, seal all wounds immediately—sap beetles can arrive within five minutes!
A sap beetle feeds on a mycelial mat. Photo by Wisconsin DNR.
Avoid underground transmission of oak wilt by severing root connections between infected and healthy oaks. Trenching equipment is used to cut a 5-foot deep line into the earth separating roots of dead and infected oaks from the unaffected oaks in the area. Trench lines are plotted using a formula that takes many factors into account and are best determined by a certified arborist or forester trained in oak wilt management. Injections of a fungicide with propiconazole as the active ingredient may offer protection of nearby valuable, healthy oak trees. This fungicide treatment will not protect against overland spread of oak wilt.
Root grafts are connected roots between trees where fungal spores can move from infected to healthy oaks. Photo by Ronald F. Billings, Texas A&M Forest Service, Bugwood.org.
To prevent the spread of oak wilt via firewood, dispose of wood from trees killed by oak wilt by burning it. If this is not possible, bury, chip or carefully seal wood from infected oaks under thick plastic. The plastic must cover the entire wood pile with the edges buried in soil to prevent beetle access. Once the wood is dry and the bark is loose or fallen off (about one year), it is no longer a source of infection.
Steps to take when oak wilt is suspected
A plastic tarp tightly covers wood from a tree killed by oak wilt. Photo by Julie Stachecki.
If oak wilt is suspected, take immediate action to get a positive diagnosis. Send a sample of a symptomatic branch to MSU Plant &Pest Diagnostics to confirm oak wilt unless a mycelial mat is discovered on a dead oak. If you find a mycelial mat on a dead oak—normally visible beneath a bark crack—that is sufficient for positive diagnosis. Once a positive diagnosis is obtained, consult a professional trained in oak wilt management as soon as possible. This disease will continue to spread unless management techniques are begun promptly.
Additional resources
More information and a free downloadable field guide to Michigan oaks: www.MichiganOakWilt.org
For more information on a wide variety of Smart Gardening topics, visit www.migarden.msu.edu or call MSU’s Lawn and Garden hotline at 1-888-678-3464.
Published August 2019. This publication is supported in part by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program 2017-70006-27175 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As part of the next phase of work to rebuild the intersection of Forest Hill Avenue SE and Burton Street SE, the north half of the Forest Hill and Burton intersection will be closed beginning Friday, Aug. 9.
The closure, which will remain until the completion of the project in August, means commuters will not have access to Forest Hill Avenue from the south end of the street. Instead, commuters will need to take a detour from East Paris Avenue to Cascade Road. Traffic delays should be anticipated.
“We recognize this closure is an inconvenience, but it is necessary in order for the contractor to be able to complete the work prior to when area schools are back in session,” said City Engineer Dan VanderHeide. “In addition, the upgrades at the intersection of Burton and Forest Hill, including new right turn lanes for Forest Hill and a new traffic signal, will reduce congestion and new pavement will mean major work to the intersection will not be necessary for many years.”
Detours will be posted and electronic sign boards are in place to give commuters of the major change in traffic. Commuters can also receive updates via the City’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter) and website. For more information, including a map of 2019 street resurfacing and repairs, visit www.kentwood.us.
“A wise man once said, ‘In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.’ “
Benjamin Franklin
New tastes in the area
The local chamber of commerce and the City of Kentwood welcomed Wise Men Distillery and Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant to town this summer. Been there yet? Visit here for the story.
New art exhibit in St. Joe
Up for a little road trip? St. Joseph’s Krasl Art Center (KAC) opened a show by artists Jon Hook and Andrea Peterson with their immersive installation: Inhaling the Universe, on view starting Aug. 9. It runs through Sept. 29. Visit here for the story.
Polka and beer. What is not to like?
… And the Polish fest is coming
Admission is free to the Dozynki Polish Festival that will be held at Rosa Parks Circle, 135 Monroe Center, from Aug. 23-25, and festival organizers stressed that there will be plenty of inexpensive parking. Visit here for the story.
Fun fact:
Polish peeps in Warren, Mich.
According to Wikipedia — whatever — Warren has the largest population in Michigan of people of Polish ancestry, at about 28,000. Detroit has about 19,000.
A girl waves to her brother, who is being shown the inside of a police car at a National Night Out event at Woodland Mall. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
National Night Out, which was held at various locations around the region Aug. 6, is always a chance for City of Kentwood leaders and public service staff to get out and mix with the pubic.
In Kentwood alone there were more than 20 block parties, neighborhood events and other activities with Kentwood police officers, firefighters, city leaders and McGruff the Crime Dog joining residents for the annual community-building night.
The events — held this year at Woodland Mall, The Pentecostals Church and Faith Church on 44th Street SE, and South United Methodist Church on South Division Avenue; to name only a few — may seem routine to some city representatives. But for City of Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen and his police force the routine is always a welcome “opportunity” to mix with the residents they serve and, sometimes, create special moments.
City of Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen. (WKTV)
“This is one more opportunity for us to interact with our community,” Chief Hillen, who toured several locations with Mayor Stephen Kepley, said to WKTV. “At their house or at their church, where there is really no barriers and they can ask us any questions they want.
“If they want to know what is going on in their neighborhood, we can tell them. We get an opportunity to find out what their concerns are. It is just an opportunity for us to, again, engage with the public in one-on-one setting.”
While the Chief Hillen and his police officers were more than welcomed by Pastor Jay Jones at The Pentecostals Church, where WKTV caught up with the Chief, that is not always the case.
In fact, when asked about a special memory of National Night Out, Chief Hillen told a story which exemplifies the dedication of his police force.
“We have 22 events like this throughout the city and it is always amazing to me,” he said. “But there was this one, this large apartment complex that we were trying to outreach to because we had some issues in that (complex). But we could not get a commitment, we could not get assistance, from the apartment facility.
“So, our officers took it upon themselves to throw their own party, because we knew there were a lot of kids in there. We knew there were a lot of people who wanted to talk to us but they were afraid to. So, the officers reached out the business community, who provided bikes and helmets and hotdogs. And we went in the threw our on party for the community, and it was well received. Its the kind of thing that just kind of touches your heart. Its why its different being in Kentwood.”
Although 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions, there are eight common foods that cause allergies: milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
When you have serious food allergies, eating at a restaurant can literally mean risking your life. But new research suggests you can take steps to protect yourself when dining out.
In fact, the more steps you take to protect yourself from exposure to the allergic substance, the less likely you are to have an allergic reaction, the study found.
The researchers asked 39 people with allergies (or their parents) about 25 behaviors people might do before eating out. Nineteen of those surveyed had experienced a food allergy reaction while dining at a restaurant.
“Overall, when you look at the results and the strategies that people used, people who had an allergic reaction [after eating out] used significantly less strategies compared to non-reactors. Non-reactors used an average of 15 strategies, reactors used an average of six,” said study author Dr. Justine Ade, a pediatric resident at University Hospitals’ Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.
Up to 15 million people may have food allergies, according to the nonprofit organization FARE (Food Allergy and Research Education). Although 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions, there are eight common foods that cause allergies in the United States: milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. FARE reports that sesame allergy is also a growing threat.
Eating food outside the home has been linked to numerous deaths in people with food allergies, according to the researchers.
Although the study didn’t evaluate how well any particular strategy worked, it did note how often people used individual strategies.
The top 5 strategies people use
Speaking to the waiter on arrival (80 percent)
Ordering food with simple ingredients (77 percent)
Double-checking food before eating (77 percent)
Avoiding restaurants with higher likelihood of contamination (74 percent)
Reviewing ingredients on a restaurant website (72 percent)
The strategies used least often
Placing food allergy order separately (23 percent)
Using a personal allergy card (26 percent)
No longer eating at restaurants (39 percent)
Choosing a chain restaurant (41 percent)
Going to a restaurant during off-peak hours (44 percent)
Ade said it may sound like a lot of work just to eat out, but “these
are things that become second nature for some people, and it probably
takes less than five minutes to do most of these things.”
People with food allergies aren’t the only ones who worry about what’s on their restaurant plate. Alice Bast, CEO of Beyond Celiac, a nonprofit health and awareness group, said that every time someone with celiac disease eats out, they play “gluten roulette.”
Celiac disease is a digestive disorder, and symptoms are triggered when someone with the disease eats gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
“Dining out is one of the biggest challenges of living with celiac disease,” Bast said. “When you’re out of control of your food, it’s easy to feel anxious about the possibility of becoming sick. There are always risks when someone else is preparing your meal, especially if they don’t take it seriously, or if they are just unaware of how to take the appropriate precautions.”
Both experts said it’s important to be vigilant and take the steps that you can to make sure your food is as safe as it can be. In the case of food allergies, Ade said it’s important to carry an epinephrine injection pen every time you eat out.
Ade presented the findings at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting, in Seattle. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Dave Warners (second from left) and Gail Heffner (far right) were among those nationally recognized during the Urban Waters Learning Forum in Cleveland, Ohio. (Courtesy Calvin University)
Plaster Creek Stewards (PCS) have yet again received national recognition for their work. This summer, the Urban Waters Learning Network, Groundwork USA, River Network, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, awarded PCS the Learning Network Signature Award. The award, which was presented at a conference in Cleveland, Ohio, honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the network of urban waters practitioners and to the field of urban waters protection and restoration.
A team effort
Plaster Creek Stewards is an initiative of Calvin University that is dedicated to returning health and beauty to one of the most contaminated urban waterways in West Michigan. Now in its tenth year, PCS has involved students, staff, faculty, community members, and partners in education, research, and many different on-the-ground restoration efforts.
A major goal of this work is to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that enters Plaster Creek. Over the years, the runoff has created all kinds of problems for Plaster Creek: high levels of bacteria, heavy sediment loads, reduced aquatic life, and flooding. It has taken more than 100 years for the Plaster Creek watershed to become so degraded and PCS leaders know it will take at least 15-20 years of concerted effort to reverse the damage.
Getting to the root of the problem
“When we began this work we thought our job was to help clean up a contaminated creek,” said Dave Warners, biology professor at Calvin University. “But before long we realized the creek wasn’t the problem, it was a symptom. The problem is the way people are living in the watershed and the disregard that watershed residents show for the creek. So now PCS focuses on restoring the damaged relationship between people and their creek. We are trying to get people to care for this neglected and abused part of God’s creation.”
Gail Heffner, Calvin’s director of community engagement, started PCS with Warners back in 2009. The two accepted the Signature Award this summer during the Urban Waters Learning Forum in Cleveland. In reflecting on PCS’ work over the past decade, Heffner says simply: “it’s an embodiment of Calvin’s mission.”
Because of the mission
“Calvin’s mission asks us to think deeply. We’ve taken an interdisciplinary approach in looking into what’s causing the problems in this local watershed. What we’ve discovered is that there are populations of people and particular neighborhoods that are disproportionately affected by the contaminated runoff,” said Heffner. “Our mission also demands us to act justly. So when we discover that this environmental injustice is happening, we are compelled to do something about it.”
And that’s what Plaster Creek Stewards have done over the past ten years.
Research. Education. Restoration.
During that time, Plaster Creek Stewards have secured 18 grants totaling more than $2.7 million.These grants have supported research: 63 student summer researchers and faculty from six academic backgrounds have received funding to study the problems and possible solutions to the challenges faced by urban waterways like Plaster Creek.
These grants have also supported the education of hundreds of people, not just in the college classroom but from pre-school through post-retirement, helping people learn how to care for their local place. Since 2009, Plaster Creek Stewards have worked with more than 26 local schools and more than 18 local houses of worship to educate and help them take restorative action in the Plaster Creek watershed.
These grants have also supported numerous on-the-ground restoration projects to capture stormwater where it lands, preventing stormwater runoff which helps improve water quality. This restoration work has included a variety of projects from a large floodplain restoration project in an upstream county park to bioswales in suburban areas and curb-cut rain gardens in urban neighborhoods. Since 2009 Plaster Creek Stewards have expanded their native plant nursery by building two additional greenhouses and now grow more than 100,000 native Michigan plants per year that are used in these various projects throughout the watershed.
A bright future
PCS has also hosted a Green Team comprised of urban high school students who learn about watershed ecology and green infrastructure installation, while simultaneously being encouraged to consider college as part of their future. Grant funding and numerous individual donors have supported the Green Team program, which has provided 96 high school positions to students in the Plaster Creek and the Rogue River watersheds over the past seven years. This has been a rich learning environment for high school students and the college student mentors who have worked alongside them.
The year 2019 celebrates the first ten years of Plaster Creek Stewards. This fall, PCS will host their final 10th anniversary celebration in collaboration with the Art Department and the English Department under the theme of Dwelling: Our Watershed in Image and Word, followed by opportunities for attenders to roll up their sleeves and take part in some tangible restorative action on behalf of the creek. Heffner and Warners say that restoration is hard but hopeful work, and that it points to a future when even urban streams will once again be places of delight and beauty for the communities through which they travel.
Explore the wild side of West Michigan! Get up close to local wildlife, learn about exotic animals, and more with these animal encounters and zoos.
West Michigan zoos
Lewis Farms and Petting Zoo, a 700-acre farm in New Era, is home to a hands-on petting zoo and indoor aviary. Meet Jeffrey the Camel, donkeys, goats, and deer, just to name a few of the fun-loving animals to see. Children can also ride pedal carts, jump on a giant pillow, mine for rocks or take a train ride. The on-site farm market provides home-grown produce, scrumptious bakery items and famous kettle corn. Celebrate Jeffrey the Camel’s 12th Birthday at Lewis Farms & Petting Zoo Aug. 10th.
With over 2,000 animals and 213 individual species, John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids is full of opportunities to encounter and interact with wildlife. You can see animals from around the world, from African lions and Amur tigers to river otters and red pandas. If you’re looking to get a little closer, they have an interactive petting corral, camel rides, and budgie feeding. They also offer daily animal training demonstrations and Tools of the Trade animal encounters, which is a free program that gives you the opportunity to take a look at how John Ball Zoo staff trains the animals.
Have a great day trip to Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek where you can get up close with the giraffes. You can even feed them face to face on the deck in Wild Africa.
No matter what the weather, Raven Hill Discovery Center in East Jordan is full of fun for all ages. The Hands-on Room encourages everyone to explore light, sound, music, magnets, motion, earth, and life sciences. The Animal Room includes reptiles and amphibians to look at, pet, or hold. There are also salt and freshwater fish to watch. If you want to endear yourself to the animals, bring broccoli or apples for the tortoises or worms for the turtle, gar, and Miss Puff.
Grass River Natural Areain Bellaire is a 1,492-acre nature preserve surrounding the Grass River, located in the heart of Antrim County. Along with the beautiful views of Grass River, they also offer seven miles of well-maintained trails including 1.5 miles of boardwalk floating above sedge meadows and cedar wetlands. With all of these natural features, Grass River Natural Area offers visitors an outdoor, living laboratory to explore and learn. The Grass River Center is open year-round, offering a comfortable learning environment for public programming, school field trips, camps, and more. Trails are open 365 days a year, 7 days a week, from dawn until dusk.
You may not be able to pet the animals you find in Mecosta County, but you will still get a great learning experience. The Card Wildlife Education Center, a 5,000-square-foot facility located on the ground floor of the Arts and Sciences Commons building on the Ferris State University Campus in Big Rapids serves as an educational resource for Ferris State University college students, K-12 school children, and members of the Michigan Community. The wildlife specimens found within the wildlife center have been donated by Ferris alumnus Roger Card and his late wife, Debra.
Animal encounters
Since opening to the public in 1997, Oswald’s Bear Ranch in Newberry of Michigan’s UP has grown tremendously both in size and in bears. With lots of room to roam, these rescued bears are given a chance to continue their lives in natural habitats and comfort.
While visiting Black Star Farms near Suttons Bay on the Leelanau Peninsula, you will enjoy viewing the dressage horses and get up close to feed the goats. Up to 18 horses are privately boarded every year on the 160 acre estate. Farm animals change annually and are a delight to children and adults alike. Feeders bring them up close.
With 5,000 acres to explore, Shanty Creek Resort offers a variety of options to just get outside and be one with nature. Grab a pair of hiking boots, walking shoes, or even a bicycle to enjoy the on-site trails at the resort. Or, head just 3 ½ miles down the road from the resort to Glacial Hills Pathway and Natural Area. Enjoy the 750 acres that make up this combined trail system suited for hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing.
Head to the Holland Area to meet farm animals and more.
Visit the DeGraaf Nature Center and explore the 18-acre nature preserve, and interact with live animal exhibits.
Enjoy pony rides, hayrides, fishing, barn animals, and feed sheep and goats at Teusink’s Pony Farm.
Where can you go to have lots of hands-on FUN this summer? Zeeland’s Critter Barn is filled with growing baby animals, visitors, and lots of classes. Each year, thousands of children and youth join in Farm Classes and Field Trips that teach about feeding, handling, and caring for farm animals. These programs provide entertaining lessons and interactive learning experiences that focus on farm life and how our food is raised: “from the ground to the table.” Help collect eggs, try milking a goat, or hand-feed corn to the hens. Class openings still available.
Plan to feed treats to animals, feed a hungry calf a bottle, learn to hold or lead animals, collect eggs, milk a goat, plus give a goat a bubble bath in the Animal Adventures Class.
Your child will delight to meet the new “baby faces” at Critter Barn’s Baby Animal Class. Ducklings, Chicks, Lambs, Kids, Bunnies, and Calves. This one-time class is to be shared with an adult (yes, please bring your camera).
Critter Camp is a three-day experience that gives animal lovers an inside look at the entire farm operation. Critter Campers learn how to feed and care for animals, clean a pen, tend the garden, eat lunch in the hayloft, and enjoy the option to come back and volunteer throughout the year as a member of the Critter Crew.
Ludington has some unique animal encounters for you this summer! Spend the day at Amber Elk Ranch and take a wagon tour of the 130-acre beautiful pastureland, where you will see cows, spikers, calves, and bull elk up close. Visit the gift shop, or stop by the petting zoo for a closer look at nature.
Tour a 4th-generation dairy farm, meet the cows and learn about milk bottling at Country Dairy in New Era. Visitors can also sample cheese and farmstead ice cream, fresh and smoked meats.
Explore the “Amazing Dinosaurs!” exhibit at Grand Rapids Children’s Museum — an exciting animal encounter for families visiting West Michigan. Dinosaur fossils and skeletons have captured our imaginations for centuries, but once upon a time, they were living, breathing animals. In this interactive exhibit, you can touch real fossils, make raptor tracks, dig for dinosaur eggs, hear a T. rex roar, and more.
Get up close to birds in their natural habitat at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in Augusta. Did you know that a Ruby-throated Hummingbird weighs as much as just two paper clips? Learn more about these diminutive birds Tuesday, Aug. 20, at a hummingbird banding demonstration hosted by the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Visit with experts Rich and Brenda Keith of the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory, part of the Kalamazoo Nature Center, to learn about their research, observe a banding and see a hummingbird up close.
Home to hundreds of reptiles, Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary & Zoological Gardens located in Athens in Coldwater Country, is a must-see destination. Visitors will enjoy daily guided tours and animal interactions. Walk through the swamp, feed your favorite gator, or just watch them bask in the sun and swim in this reptile paradise.
Operation Homefront’s mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive — not simply struggle to get by — in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.
By Lauren DeVol SpartanNash
Together with its store guests and company associates, the SpartanNash Foundation raised $300,000 for its patriotic nonprofit partners Team Red, White & Blue, Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember.
Between June 26 and July 7, store guests who visited any participating SpartanNash-owned retail store or fuel center had the opportunity to donate $1, $5 or $10 at any checkout lane, or round their total up to the nearest dollar to support the trio of patriotic partners. More than 135 stores participated in the Foundation scan, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery, Dan’s Supermarket and Family Fresh Market.
The $300,000 raised during the SpartanNash Foundation companywide fundraising scan campaign will be evenly split between Team RWB, Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember. SpartanNash Foundation grants will be used to connect servicemembers, veterans and their families to their local communities through physical and social activity, provide critical financial assistance and family support services and honor those who lost their lives as a result of defending our freedoms.
“At SpartanNash, we are very excited about the overwhelming support shown for our military heroes during the latest SpartanNash Foundation retail scan,” said Meredith Gremel, vice president of corporate affairs and communications and the executive director of the SpartanNash Foundation. “As a leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries throughout the world, SpartanNash sees firsthand the sacrifices our servicemen and women make to protect our freedoms every day. One of our company’s core values is patriotism, and SpartanNash and the SpartanNash Foundation are deeply committed to supporting our military heroes in the communities we serve.
“Each year, SpartanNash contributes thousands of dollars, products and volunteer hours to military and veterans organizations and events – as well as hiring veterans and their family members as a Military Friendly® and veteran-friendly employer. We are proud to team up with Team RWB, Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember in this unique and powerful way, raising awareness and funds for those who served and sacrificed.”
Since 2016, the SpartanNash Foundation has raised and granted more than $1,000,000 for its patriotic partners through its fundraising scan campaigns, benefitting veterans service organizations including Give an Hour, Fisher House Foundation, Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., Disabled Veterans National Foundation and in 2019, Team RWB, Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember. SpartanNash underwrites the cost of the awareness-building and fundraising campaign as well as contributes funding and encourages associates to volunteer with the Foundation’s grant recipients.
Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.
Team RWB
Founded in 2010, Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Utilizing a nationwide network of chapters, Team RWB hosts and participates in events designed to bring veterans together and engage in the communities where they live and work.
Team RWB is the bridge connecting communities – where veterans and civilians work together and gain common understanding. Team RWB takes the best of military service – the camaraderie and the physical challenges – and creates a new family of Eagles connected through physical activity.
“We’re honored and grateful that the SpartanNash Foundation, along with their store guests, recognizes the sacrifices veterans have made on behalf of our nation,” said John Pinter, Team RWB’s Executive Director. “We’re thrilled that this campaign will afford us the opportunity to support more veterans in their post-service journeys.”
Team RWB offers resources to ensure veterans have an effective transition back into their communities and ways to engage locally.
Operation Homefront’s mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive — not simply struggle to get by — in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.
For 17 years, Operation Homefront has provided critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year.
“We are extremely grateful to SpartanNash, the SpartanNash Foundation and their incredible store guests for this generous grant as it allows us to help our military families who may be struggling to make ends meet,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray, Jr., President and CEO, Operation Homefront. “For a second consecutive year, they are helping us give this very special and deserving group of our fellow citizens the opportunity to thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.”
In 2018, SpartanNash Foundation funds supported Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance (CFA) program. CFA support includes, but is not limited to, direct assistance with rent and mortgage payments, utility bills, car repairs, home repairs and groceries. Thanks to the generous support of partners such as the SpartanNash Foundation, Operation Homefront has fulfilled more than 41,000 requests for assistance, providing over $25 million in grants since the CFA program began in 2011.
The mission of Honor and Remember is to publicly and perpetually recognize the ultimate sacrifice of America’s military fallen heroes and their families.
Honor and Remember, Inc.
The mission of Honor and Remember is to publicly and perpetually recognize the ultimate sacrifice of America’s military fallen heroes and their families. The organization pays tribute to all military lives lost, not only while serving on active duty but also as a result of serving.
The primary vehicle for perpetual recognition the Honor and Remember Flag, which is intended to fly continuously as a tangible and visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms.
SpartanNash is a national partner and strong supporter of Honor and Remember, underwriting personal flag presentations to families of the fallen and flying the Honor and Remember flag at all company facilities. The flag artwork is also displayed on SpartanNash’s fleet of tractor trailers, which travel more than 65 million miles per year.
“SpartanNash and its store guests have been faithful partners in our mission to pay tribute to the families of men and women who have given their lives in military service to America,” said George Lutz, who founded Honor and Remember after losing his son in Iraq in 2005. “Thanks to the generosity of the SpartanNash Foundation, we have been able to present hundreds of Gold Star families with personalized Honor and Remember flags that express our nation’s profound appreciation for their supreme sacrifice. Whenever SpartanNash store guests or associates see an Honor and Remember flag flying beneath the American flag, they can take pride in knowing that they are partners in our mission to ensure that the public never forgets our fallen heroes.”
Through its partnership with the SpartanNash Foundation, Honor and Remember honored more than 250 families who have lost a loved one through military service with personalized Honor and Remember flags in 2018. SpartanNash was also a presenting sponsor of Honor and Remember’s Run for the Fallen – a five-month, 6,000-mile journey to pay tribute to fallen servicemembers.
The retail scan campaign supporting Operation Homefront and Honor and Remember is the third of four fundraising campaigns the SpartanNash Foundation will conduct in 2019. To date, the SpartanNash Foundation has raised $734,700 on behalf of local Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics partners in eight states.
Dr. Jochen Wierich, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park new Curator of Sculpture and Sculpture Exhibitions. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Dr. Jochen Wierich, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park new Curator of Sculpture and Sculpture Exhibitions, comes to Grand Rapids with extensive art curatorial experience, having most recently led curated exhibitions at Nashville’s renown Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art including a much admired exhibition “Jaume Plensa: Human Landscape” in 2015-16.
He also has an equally impressive resume as an art historian and teacher, which includes being a lecturer on art history at prestigious institutions of higher education including Vanderbilt University — and he now holds the Lena E. S. Meijer Professorship in Art History at Aquinas College.
But the “American” portion of the German-born Wierich’s art history resume only hints at his depth of knowledge and appreciation of art, and his desire to share his knowledge and appreciation with local students and the general public visiting Meijer Gardens.
During one of his first in-depth interviews after coming to Meijer Gardens in late July, Wierich wore his curatorial jacket as he discussed his admiration for the Meijer Gardens sculptural art collection as well as some works which surprised him on his initial tours of the gardens. (See the following video.)
During the WKTV interview, however, he also discussed his views on the differences between art education in Europe and America, as well as his conviction that understanding history and culture is essential to understanding art.
“I see a number of differences in the role of art and art education in Europe and in the United States,” Wierich said to WKTV. “From my own perspective, in Europe young people grow up understanding that art is a part of a kind of cultural heritage, a part of a kind of patrimony, that we inherit. So even outside the classroom education, that is something that young people in Germany, in Europe, they just bring to their college education.
“I, you, she or he” by Jaume_Plensa. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens by William J Hebert)
“In the United States, I would say that museums have done a great job of helping, educating young people, in the arts. Encouraging them to be creative. And then to appreciate art. But, still, art is not as much imbedded in the broader education sphere in the United States. And so, when the students come to college, they just don’t quite bring that background, that kind of familiarity with the arts, that I see in Germany and in Europe.”
But passing on his passion for art is where Wierich’s passion for education comes into play.
“That is something that, especially as a college teacher, I also want to help with,” he said. “Being part of the Aquinas faculty, and interacting with the students in the classroom, and possibly encouraging them to come out here and explore the sculpture collection, that is going to be part of my job. … And maybe bridge that gap a little bit.”
Another stop in Wierich’s American journey was at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Wa. — a place which cemented his belief in the importance of culture and historic context in understanding and appreciating modern art.
“The issue of understanding art within the historic and cultural context, to me, it is something that I think about all the time,” Wierich said. “My background, as you know, is in art history and American studies. So I thrive in museum environments that are multi-disciplinary, if you want (to call it such). And, for example, here at Meijer Gardens, you have art and horticulture, and you have programs that bring music and literature to this institution, and create this conversation across different disciplines.
“At the MAC, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, you might see in one visit a Native American contemporary artist painting landscapes, you might see additional plateau Indian baskets, and then you might see an exhibition of German and Italian immigrants who came to the inland Northwest as farmers. And so, each of these exhibitions contributes to, in a sense, framing the art.”
When it comes to modern and contemporary art appreciation and art history “I think that learning about the context (is important), that none of these works was created in a vacuum. That each of these works can help us understand what the historical circumstances were that, maybe, inspired the artist,” he said. “Think about the great Picasso painting “Guernica”, without understanding the (Spanish Civil) War, that painting is not quite the same.”
And he brings that idea home to Meijer Gardens.
Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens by PeterMcDaniel)
“Even with the artists here in the sculpture park — Ai Weiwei, Jaume Plensa — you can really understand what an artist like Ai Weiwei is processing in terms of his growing up in contemporary China, and struggling with the changes in China,” Wierich said. “Or Jaume Plensa, somebody who grew up right after the dictatorship of Franco, and when Spain became a democracy. This are all stories that allow us to have a greater appreciation of the modern and contemporary art works.”
Prior to his work at Vanderbilt, Wierich held teaching positions at Whitman College, Free University in Berlin and Belmont University.
He earned a Master of Arts degree from the Universitat Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Universitat Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. He has a master’s degree in American Studies from Goethe University of Frankfurt and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William and Mary in Virginia — where his dissertation is titled “The Domestication of History in American Art, 1848-1876”.
Joseph Becherer, who previously held both the Meijer Gardens and Aquinas College positions, was named director of the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame last fall.
It has been a busy summer for the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce with members not only preparing for the annual Metro Cruise, which takes place Aug. 23 and 24, but also welcoming four new businesses.
The Chamber along with the City of Kentwood welcomed Wise Men Distillery, which had a ribbon cutting and grand opening on May 31. Located at 4717 Broadmoor Ave. SE, right next to Cascade Winery and Jaden James Brewery, the new tasting room offers small batch vodka, rum, gin, white whiskey and its famous Apple Pie Moonshine in a “laid-back, down to earth environment,” according to the company’s website.
Wise Men Distillery was started with three friends who through painstaking experiments produced a moonshine that was not only drinkable, but enjoyable too. This became the company’s signature Apple Pie Moonshine. Just recently, the 2019 New York International Spirits Competition named Wise Men Distillery “Michigan Run Distillery of the Year” and awarded the distillery a silver medal for its Red Tape series rum and a bronze for its Wise Men vodka.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant opened in Kentwood on July 27.
About two months later, on July 27 the Chamber and the City of Kentwood welcomed the national chain Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant at 4515 28th St. SE. This location was the former Paulina’s Mexican Restaurant and at one time a Quaker State and Lube restaurant.
The Kentwood restaurant is the Chicago-based company’s second location in Michigan, having opened its first in 2018 on the east side of the state in Clinton Township.
The Kentwood Cooper’s Hawk will feature a Napa-style tasting area, full restaurant and bar and a patio of outdoor dining. According to Cooper’s Hawk’s website, all menu items are made in the scratch kitchen and incorporate peak-of-season ingredients. All items are paired with wine recommendations.
AT&T Prime Wireless opened a new location in Wyoming’s 28 West Place plaza in July. (Chamber)
Also opened in July is Peoplemark Staffing, 3949 Sparks Dr., Grand Rapids, and AT&T Prime Wireless, 1266 28th St. SW, Wyoming,
Peoplemark is a full service staffing company that provides recruiting, sourcing, screening, finding and placing exceptional associates in all positions at all levels, manufacturing, administrative/clerical, IT, customer service, accounting/finance, etc.
AT&T Prime Wireless is an AT&T authorized retailer with a showroom featuring AT&T’s newest products including cellular phones and tablets.
Peoplemark opened its new location on Sparks Drive in July. (Chamber)
Propionate is a preservative commonly found in breads and other manufactured foods. Researchers are trying to pin down the effects on humans, but in animal trials the ingredient led to weight gain. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
If you’re watching your weight, you probably know to avoid sugary and fatty foods.
But what about preservatives?
Eating a preservative widely used in breads, baked goods and cheese may trigger metabolic responses that are linked to obesity and diabetes, an early study suggests.
The additive, called propionate, is actually a naturally occurring fatty acid produced in the gut. When it’s used as an additive in processed foods, it helps prevent mold.
But in the new study, researchers found that feeding mice low doses of propionate gradually caused weight gain and resistance to the hormone insulin—which, in humans, is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
And when the researchers gave healthy adults a single propionate dose, it spurred a release of blood sugar-raising hormones—and a subsequent surge in insulin.
None of that proves propionate-containing foods raise the odds of weight gain and diabetes, said senior researcher Dr. Gokhan Hotamisligil, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
“The point is not to say this additive is ‘bad,’” he stressed.
Instead, Hotamisligil said, his team is interested in understanding the effects—good or bad—of the various “molecules” humans consume in their diets.
“There’s a scarcity of scientific evidence on a lot of the things we put in our bodies through food,” he said. “Propionate is just one example.”
Still, Hotamisligil said, the findings do raise an important question: “Could long-time consumption of propionate in humans be a contributing factor to obesity and diabetes?”
When it comes to processed foods, the concern is usually directed toward ingredients like added sugar, sodium and trans fats. But there’s also a host of additives that, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are “generally recognized as safe.”
Despite that “GRAS” status, though, there is typically little known about how those food additives might affect metabolism, according to Hotamisligil.
Dr. Emily Gallagher is an assistant professor of endocrinology at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City.
She agreed it’s important to dig into the potential metabolic effects of food additives.
“People may look at food labels and think they are making healthy choices,” said Gallagher, who had no part in the study. “But without our knowledge, very small amounts of certain additives in food may be causing detrimental metabolic effects.”
That said, it’s too soon to point the finger at propionate, according to Gallagher.
She called these early findings “thought-provoking,” but said longer-term studies are needed to better understand any health effects from the additive.
For the animal portion of the study, the researchers gave mice propionate in their water. The immediate effects included an increase in three hormones that spur the liver to produce glucose (sugar). Over time, chronic exposure to the additive caused the mice to gain weight and become resistant to the hormone insulin, which helps lower blood sugar levels.
The human portion of the study included 14 healthy people given a dose of either propionate or a placebo with a meal. Compared with the placebo meal, the additive caused the same hormonal response seen in mice, plus a surge in insulin in the blood.
Whether those effects over time could harm people’s health is unknown.
Many factors, including overall diet and exercise, affect the risks of obesity and diabetes, Gallagher pointed out.
For now, she said, the findings support the general advice that we should be limiting processed foods in favor of healthier, whole foods.
Hotamisligil agreed. “I’m not saying, if you don’t eat propionate, you’ll live forever,” he said. “But these are the types of foods we should limit anyway.”
The findings were published online recently in Science Translational Medicine.
Doug Deweerdt’s history with his 1951 Chevrolet pickup is not unlike a lot of stories about guys rebuilding classic cars — it started out with rusty years in a pole barn somewhere, it’s always more work than they initially thought, and it often has a strong family connection.
But the story of Doug’s dad wanting to leave classic cars to both sons, and his deceased dad’s involvement Deweerdt’s rebuilding process, is unique.
“My father picked this vehicle up, probably, about 30 years ago, for him and I to restore,” Deweerdt said to WKTV. “He already had a 1947 Dodge business coupe. He picked up the truck for he and I to do, so my brother would get the car and he’d leave the truck to me.
“Well, life and kids got in the way and it sat in his pole barn for like 20 years, then he pushed it off into my garage for like five or six (years). He passed away in January 2013 and in December I decided, you know, its time to do the truck.”
While he was working on the renovation of the truck, done in about 2-1/2 years, he was constantly reminded of his father, though.
Deweerdt spent “a lot of time in the shop, after work,” working on the pickup, he said. And “I’ve got a picture of him standing next to his ’47 that hung on my shop wall the entire time,” — his voice trailing off in memories — “there is definitely a connection.”
The process of rebuild
Deweerdt, who is plant manager of Grand Rapids’ tortilla maker El Milagro of Michigan, Inc., told us the story of the actual work required that involved both family and a new friend.
“At the time (he started the rebuild) I had an acquaintance that had built a couple (cars), Jeff Myles, and I asked if he would stop by and take a look at it. You know, give me some ideas,” he said. “So he did, and, you know, in talking to him, I asked him if he would mentor me. I told him I’m not asking him to help me, just kind of walk me through certain sections of it. Which he did, and he’s become a very, very good friend of mine now.”
While Deweerdt did “about 90 percent of the work,” including a frame swap, to give him more modern brakes and other mechanicals, he finished it with a special paint job from a shop in Muskegon. He has been showing the ’51 for three years.
“I tried to keep it as original as I could,” he said. “A lot of guys really modify the bodies, shave the doorhandles and all of that. I really didn’t want to do that. I really wanted to keep it as original as possible and yet I wanted that look (pointing to the vehicle) and I wanted a more modern-day ride, with the suspension.”
And then there is the wood bed
One other thing that is not “original” is the truck’s bed — but that, too, is more a personal story.
“The bed wood, we get a ton of complements on that,” Deweerdt said. “A lot of them just do the normal wood shade. … (but) I had seen a sample of the dark wood on the internet. My wife piddles with woodworking, we both do. So I gave her a sample of the wood and said ‘This is what I want.” And she played around with a couple different combinations and this is what we came up with. … we get a lot of people commenting on that.”
And there will broadly be more comments on the ’51 at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise on Aug. 23-24.
WKTV Community Media will produce a 1-hour special live broadcast scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, on WKTVLive.org as well as on WKTV Comcast Cable Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and, later on demand at WKTV.org.
For more information Metro Cruise 2019, visit the chamber’s website at southkent.org and keep up on the latest news of Metro Cruise and DreamWheels at WKTVjournal.org .
High school students Gerardo Garay and Willow Grey-Lughod haven’t exactly spent the summer kicking back and relaxing.
The pair, who attend Kent Transition Center, has been working diligently in a 10-week program through a partnership with Kent ISD and Michigan Rehab Services. They are a part of a 10-person team helping with cleaning and landscaping on the large Kent ISD campus in Northeast Grand Rapids, preparing for the new school year.
Kent Transition Center helps prepare students with learning or other special needs make the transition from school to work and to develop independence.
Forest Hills Northern student Willow Grey-Lughold cleans a chair as part of the Kent ISD Summer Employment Program, which is giving students their first experience in the job world. (School News Network)
“We do mostly cleaning and weeding so everything looks respectable,” said Gerardo, entering 12th grade at East Kentwood High School. “This is my first job indeed. Everything is going great so far.
“If anyone is scared of a first job, this is a perfect experience. They help you a lot; there are a lot of nice people.” Gerardo hopes the experience will help further his dream. “After high school, I want to achieve my dream of running my own restaurant in the bakery, with meal prep and cooking.”
Willow said she’s making the most of her summer job too. “We’re learning how to clean stuff that I’ve never done at home,” said Willow, who is entering her senior year at Forest Hills Northern. “We’re learning a whole lot.”
Beyond working on campus, other students are working at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel helping with food preparation, in the laundry room, and most are in their district doing the same types of activities, according to Duane Kiley, principal at the Transition Center.
“It truly gives them something to put on their resume, gives them experience that you can’t get anyplace else,” said Kiley, of the 37 students in the program. “We have kids come back and say they learned a lot about what it’s like to work for somebody, follow directions, show up on time and work with other people. For a lot of them, it’s their first experience getting a paycheck and having direct deposit at a bank.
“And a number of our graduates got hired by the places they worked at in the summer.”
Forest Hills Northern student Willow Grey-Lughold participated in the Kent ISD Summer Employment Program, prepping the campus inside and out for the new school year. (School News Network)
Kent Transition Center
All of the students in the Summer Employment Program attend the Kent Transition Center, whose goal is to prepare high school juniors and seniors for employment and a successful, independent future. It offers small classes, hands-on learning and support to give their students what they need for successful learning.
Students can apply what they learn in the classroom through internships at actual job sites where they are mentored by business partners and supported by the Transition Center team. High school credits are earned for these career experiences, which can lead to paid positions for those students who excel.
Real-World Experience with Support
Linda Nawrocki, administrative assistant at the Transition Center, says this summer experience is unique.
“What I think is so great about this program for the kids is that they get this real work experience, but they have this support that you wouldn’t typically get when you’re first hired,” she explained.
Wyoming student Gerardo Garay cleans a chair as part of the Kent ISD Summer Employment Program, which is giving students a first-look at a job
Kiley said the real story is the partnership with Michigan Rehab Services.
“The money that pays these students’ salaries comes from the Michigan Rehab and federal funds,” Kiley said. “We pay 25 percent and MRS pays 75 percent. Each student gets over $1,000 for the 10 weeks.”
Zach Mosher, a supervisor for the summer work program, said it’s a good first experience working with a boss, taking orders, working as a team and following through with a job.
“It’s their first experience in a job atmosphere,” said Mosher, a third-grade teacher at Sandy Hill Elementary in Jenison, where 10 students are employed. “Right now we are prepping a room for the school year; dusting the ceilings, walls, vents and working our way down to the windows, doors and door frames to the floor.
“We have done many rooms throughout campus, including hundreds of lockers. We spend the majority of our time outside doing the grounds; pulling weeds on the sidewalks, curbs and courtyards and trimming branches.”
Mosher has much to say about his workers.
“They sweat and don’t complain; they just do it. And they get so many compliments about their good work. They’re just awesome workers; I’m proud of them. This definitely helps prepare them for the work world.”
To read more stories on on local schools, visit the School News Network website at schoolnewsnetwork.org.
If your child is headed to college for the first time, you can allay some of your worries by ensuring they’re up to date on vaccinations. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
If you’re looking to help your burgeoning thinker prepare for the first year of college, you could do worse than start with a simple science lesson.
Think of the higher learning universe as a giant petri dish.
Your youngster will dive headlong into that glorious environment, seizing opportunities to broaden the intellect and test new ideas that challenge the status quo.
College is, however, a life-sized cauldron of cellular chaos, swimming with a frightening array of potentially deadly germs.
What important steps can parents take to ensure their college student is prepared for life on campus?
Above all else, make sure your child is properly vaccinated, said Mary Zimmerman, immunization program manager at Spectrum Health.
Does this mean you can’t spend this last month of summer scouting out the best deals on futons, bed sheets and mini refrigerators? No. It just means immunizations need to maintain their proper place at the top of the to-do list.
Teens headed to college should be current on six vaccinations in particular—meningococcal serogroup B, meningococcal conjugate vaccine (serogroups ACWY), hepatitis A, Tdap, HPV and influenza.
Meningococcal serogroup B vaccine
Given their bustling social lives and close-quarter living, college students are uniquely prone to exposure of meningococcal disease, Zimmerman said.
And if there’s just one thing to remember about meningitis, it’s this: It is deadly serious.
“People who have had meningitis had flu-like symptoms and then they were dead within 24 hours,” Zimmerman said. “If you survive, it’s a long-term stay in the hospital.”
The disease kills 10 percent of its victims, she said. Of those who survive, 20 percent will suffer long-term consequences from infection, including brain damage, amputation or loss of hearing.
When the bacteria infect the brain and spinal cord, it’s known as meningitis. When it infects the bloodstream, it becomes septicemia. There are two different vaccinations for meningococcus—serogroup B vaccine and serogroup ACWY vaccine, also known as the conjugate vaccine—and they immunize against different groups of the disease.
The CDC requires children to receive the conjugate vaccination by age 12, with a recommended follow-up conjugate booster at age 16. It’s also recommended that children receive the serogroup B vaccine at age 16, when they get the conjugate booster, but it’s not required, Zimmerman said.
Only recently has there been growth in awareness about the serogroup B vaccine.
In Michigan, the family of Emily Stillman, a Kalamazoo College sophomore who died of meningitis in 2013 at age 19, has emerged as the vanguard in pushing for awareness about meningococcal serogroup B.
Stillman died within 36 hours of contracting bacterial meningitis. She had received the meningococcal conjugate vaccine in her youth and also the recommended conjugate booster at age 16.
She did not receive the serogroup B vaccine.
Why? In 2013, the serogroup B vaccine hadn’t been available in the U.S. Not until 2015 did it become available.
Zimmerman cautioned that parents may encounter circumstances, even today, in which a primary care provider doesn’t have immediate access to the serogroup B vaccination.
This should not discourage them from pursuing it further.
“Check first with your primary care provider,” Zimmerman said. “If they don’t carry the B shot, you can check with the local health department — they do have it.”
Don’t assume the serogroup B vaccination isn’t important simply because the CDC made it a recommended vaccination, as opposed to a requirement, said Mary Wisinski, immunization program supervisor at Kent County Health Department.
“Absolutely get the vaccine,” Wisinski said. “It’s a deadly disease.”
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine
All strains of meningitis are spread through secretions from the throat and respiratory system—coughing, kissing, sneezing, sharing cups and so forth. Simply living in the same environment as someone with the disease could put you at risk.
About 10 percent of people who carry the bacteria in their nose or throat won’t show symptoms of the disease. But they can spread it.
“That’s why it’s so scary,” Zimmerman said. “There’s no rhyme or reason as to who might get the disease and who might just be a carrier.”
This is why vaccinations are so critical, she said, especially for the age 16-to-24 group headed into socially rich environments such as universities.
While the CDC requires the conjugate vaccination by age 12, there are of course children whose parents may have opted them out of vaccines.
College is a great time to reconsider such views.
“A college student will think they’re just run-down, and then they have to be rushed off to the hospital,” Wisinski said. “There’s nothing they can do.
“People do survive it, but the infection can cause them to lose their arms or legs, or cause them to be deaf,” Wisinski added. “It’s not a pleasant thought. Especially when there’s a shot to protect against it.”
The Kent County Health Department follows the mantra, “Vaccinate before you graduate.”
“(Parents) are sending these kids off to college very unprepared and unprotected,” she said.
In recent years, there has been a grassroots push among certain parents to opt out of vaccinations, but that has only led to spikes in diseases that had virtually fallen off the threat radar.
In 2016 and 2017, for example, the CDC logged outsized jumps in the number of mumps cases—directly traced to university campuses. The two largest cases were in Iowa and Illinois.
A Michigan college hit with a recent mumps outbreak didn’t have the data they needed to tackle it, Wisinski said.
“They didn’t know the vaccination status of any of their students,” she said.
In respect to the meningitis conjugate vaccination, nearly half of all teens fail to get the follow-up booster shot recommended at age 16, Wisinski said.
“(In Michigan), 80 percent of our kids get the first meningococcal vaccine at age 12,” she said. “But they don’t come back. In Kent County, only 50 percent of the teens that are immunized with the first vaccine will get that second one. Nationally, it’s 30 percent.”
For about the past decade, the CDC has recommended children receive two HPV vaccinations starting at about age 11.
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus, with some strains causing various types of cancer. Much like other series of vaccinations, it’s important to have the complete series before any exposure, Zimmerman said.
HPV is a two-dose series if the first dose is administered before a child’s 15th birthday. If administered after the 15th birthday, three shots are required, Zimmerman said.
It’s important to remember the follow-up.
“Obviously, you get your best protection by completing the series,” she said.
“So many college students are traveling abroad,” Zimmerman said. “It’s good just to be protected.”
Hepatitis A is a liver disease spread through contaminated food and water. The vaccination is a routine recommendation for children starting at age 1, but there are adults and older children who have never had it.
The hepatitis A disease rate has declined 95 percent since the vaccine became available in 1995, but don’t imagine for a second that it has magically disappeared in this country.
The disease incubates in the body anywhere from 15 to 50 days before manifesting itself, Zimmerman said. Adults who get the disease can be ill for up to six months, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting and jaundice.
“It’s a virus,” Zimmerman said. “You clear it from your system. If you have the disease, you then have immunity. But that’s the hard way to get it.”
The easiest route is vaccination.
Tdap vaccine
Babies and small children receive a series of shots called DTaP, which protect against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
As a child ages, the effectiveness of this vaccination wears off. Consequently, at about age 11 the CDC recommends children receive a Tdap vaccination, Zimmerman said.
It’s effectively a booster for the original shot.
“They get the maximum benefit from (receiving) doses at the proper time,” Zimmerman said.
Tetanus is caused by toxins from bacteria in the soil. Diphtheria and pertussis are spread through coughing and sneezing. According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 people who get tetanus will die and 1 in 10 who get diphtheria will die.
Pertussis is most dangerous for babies. They contract the disease from children or adults who haven’t been vaccinated.
“Pertussis won’t kill adults, but it does kill infants,” Zimmerman said.
Here again, the anti-vaccination crowd has given rise to pertussis outbreaks at levels not seen since the 1950s, according to CDC data. In 2012, more than 48,000 pertussis cases were reported—the most since 1955.
Researchers have blamed these developments on a reduction in herd immunity.
Influenza vaccine
A list of recommended vaccinations for any age group, infant to elderly, would be incomplete without the addition of the influenza vaccination.
“The annual flu vaccine is always recommended,” Zimmerman said.
Children from eligible families can receive free vaccinations through the Vaccines for Children program, Wisinski said. This applies to all vaccines, from birth to age 19. Children with medical insurance that does not cover certain vaccines can also receive vaccines, but they must get them at the health department or a qualified facility.
“If they have Medicaid or no insurance, or even insurance that doesn’t cover shots, they can get free shots,” Wisinski said. “It’s part of the VFC program.
“If someone from birth through age 18 has no insurance, or insurance that does not cover vaccines, the vaccine is free—but we do charge an administration fee on a sliding scale fee, from $0 to $23,” Wisinski said.
