Category Archives: Citizen Journalism

Stories from Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan: Bringing Home Sam

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Photo credit: Sydney Kelley Photography

By Erica Bode, Ada

 

“I want to adopt a child,” I told my husband over the phone while running errands. “I want to adopt a child with Down syndrome. Actually, there is this beautiful boy on the Reece’s Rainbow adoption site who I am in love with.”

 

I have replayed this conversation many times since adopting our sweet Armenian, Sam. Sam was born in Armenia, given up at birth, and lived in an orphanage for four years before we brought him home in 2016.

 

Before we started the adoption process I knew nothing about Down syndrome. My heart always gravitated towards the beautiful Down syndrome children with almond eyes, chubby fingers, and a gap between the big toe and the rest of the toes. I knew nothing more about Down syndrome than what meets the eye. I knew nothing about raising a child with special needs. And I knew nothing about what it meant to become a parent of a special needs child. And here’s a little secret I’ll share with you — after having Sam for almost two years, I am still learning what all this means.

 

My husband and I had great aspirations of bringing Sam home and changing the life of this little boy. But we never realized just how much we would change. We never realized how much we needed to change to raise this little boy. Sam has made great progress since April 2016, but our parenting had to change to help him be successful. We soon realized that we needed a team of people to help us. We couldn’t do it alone. This new parenting style required us to be vulnerable, humble, and intentional. We surrounded ourselves with some great therapists, enlisted family to provide us with much needed respite, and thanked our lucky stars for some amazing teachers and teaching staff who loved our kid even when he was hard to love. And lastly, we sought out an adoption counselor who helped change our mindset on what it means to be a parent, an adoptive parent, and a special needs parent to a boy who didn’t ask for any of this.

 

We are still learning, we don’t have all the answers. But the great thing  is — we don’t have to.  We are grateful for the other parents who share their stories and life lessons. We can only hope to one day pay it forward to the couple who is considering adopting a beautiful child with Down syndrome.

 

Reprinted with permission from Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan.

Area organizations offer lots of activities to make sure no student is left bored this spring break

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The Grand Rapids Art Museum will be offering free admission to students.

 

Looking for something to do on spring break? Well, there are lots of camps and activities available through a variety of organizations. Here are just a few ideas.

 

 

Wyoming and Kentwood Parks and Recreation Departments

 

There is always something to do at a local park and with the weather warming, a chance to get some fresh air is always a nice option. Along with that, make sure to check out your local parks and recreation department for programs or activities taking place during the week. It is also a good time to check out the spring and summer leagues. For the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department, click here.

 

Kentwood Parks and Recreation will be hosting its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 31 at 10 a.m. at Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Also, Kentwood is currently taking applications for the Kentwood Farmers Market, which opens in June. For Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, click here.

 

 

The Salvation Army Kroc Center

 

Family art projects, bounce houses, swimming, and climbing are just a few of the family–friendly activity options available at The Salvation Army Kroc Center during Spring Break 2018, April 2–6.

 

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is located at 2500 S. Division Ave.

 

Open swim, climbing wall, and game room hours will be extended. Special guest presentations at 11 a.m. each morning include Blandford Nature Center, Binder Park Zoo, puppeteer Kevin Kammeraad, and interactive drumming with WaZoBia.

 

Day passes are only $7.50 for all ages, and Kroc Center members get unlimited free access to all activities. All children age 11 and under must be supervised by an adult while visiting the Kroc Center. New this year, the Kroc has added a “family room” where parents and kids looking for a break can have snacks, play games, and more.

 

Also new this year is an annual Family Pool & Play Pass, cost is $99, which provides day pass access to the Kroc Center for a family of up to five people during the most popular open swim times – Saturdays and Sundays, Spring Break, and Christmas Break.

 

For more information, visit GrKrocCenter.org/springbreak or call 616-588-7200.

 

 

The Grand Rapids Art Museum will host two drop-in art studio programs, April 3 and 7.

Grand Rapids Art Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Art Museum will offer free admission to kids 17 and under during Spring Break, April 3-7.

 

The Grand Rapids Art Museum is located at 101 Monroe Center NW.

 

Free admission includes entry to all of the Museum’s current exhibits, as well as related programming offered at the Museum on the day of the visit. The Museum will offer two drop-in art studio programs during the week, April 3 and 7 from 1-4 p.m., as well as a drop-in tour, April 7 from 1-2 p.m.

 

GRAM’s current exhibits are “Alexis Rockman: The Great Lakes Cycle,” exploring the past, present, and future of North America’s Great Lakes; “From Wilderness to Resource: A Story in Pictures,” a selection from GRAM’s permanent collection designed to complement the Rockman exhibit; and “Tony Mendoza: Cats and Dogs,” featuring the work of Ohio-based photographer and writer of Cuban descent Tony Mendoza.

 

For more information, visit artmuseumgr.org/exhibitions

 

 

At the Grand Rapids Public Museum, students can create a mermaid or unicorn puppet.

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will have its two traveling exhibits, planetarium shows, hands-on activities and more from Spring Break, which will run from March 30 – April 8.

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is at 272 Pearl St. NW.

 

Museum hours will be extended until 8 p.m. from April 2 – 6. The Museum will be closed Sunday, April 1 for Easter.

 

Special hands-on activities include creating your own Chinese dragons, make-and-take your own mermaid or unicorn puppet, playing BIG games, build structures with Keva blocks and Magformers magnetic shapes, and special Museum artifacts on a touch-it table.  Visitors can explore the mythical creatures from around the globe in the “Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids,” and become a water droplet in “Water’s Extreme Journey.”

 

Keva blocks and Magformers magnetic shapes

On Tuesday, April 3, there will be a special Science Tuesday activity in the Museum’s Watershed Lab using an augmented reality sandbox. Visitors will change the topography of a land map, creating different terrains from lakes to mountains to learn how a watershed works. This Lab will be free with general admission.

 

The GRPM will be offering additional Chaffee Planetarium show times for the most popular shows. Planetarium shows are $4 with general admission, $5 for planetarium-only tickets and free to Museum members.

 

For more information on Spring Break activities including planetarium shows and for tickets visit grpm.org.

 

 

Grand Rapids Ballet

 

The Grand Rapids Ballet will offer two programs for youth during the week of April 2-6, a Spring Break for Kids day series of one-hour program of entertainment and activities, and a series of longer Day Camps focused on dance and physical fitness activities.

 

The Grand Rapids Ballet is located at 341 Elllsworth Avenue SW, Grand Rapids.

 

Spring Break for Kids will run Monday-Friday, April 2-6, from 10:30 to11:30 a.m., at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre. Doors open every day at 10:30 a.m. for fun activities including a Gymco obstacle course and costume dress-up, followed by a 30-minute kid-friendly ballet, “Mother Goose’s Friends”. Tickets are $7 per day.

 

Spring Break Day Camp will run Monday-Thursday, April 2-5, at the Grand Rapids Ballet School. Each day of Day Camp includes social and physical activity for boys and girls ages 3-6 years. In the camps, campers will learn the fundamentals of etiquette, cooperation, goal-setting, musicality, flexibility, strength, and more. Campers can enroll in one day or all four days For cost, call 616-454-4771 (Ext. 17). The camps are also available for entire weeks during summer vacation.

 

For more information call 616-454-4771 (Ext.10) or visit GRBallet.com.

 

Grand Rapids Film Festival to screen 17 films made in Michigan, April 13-15

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Since 2009, Grand Rapids Film Festival (GRFF) has championed collaborative film exhibition and education events in Grand Rapids. Using a community-oriented approach to celebrate film and its makers, the GRFFl aims to increase regional access to and production of quality films that provide meaningful, constructive and encouraging entertainment while harnessing the transformative power of film.
F&M
Friday, April 13
@The Waldron


The festival kicks-off with a signature event dubbed “F&M” which stands for fashion and music for film. This event is hosted by The Waldron on Ionia Street. The program centers around six of the short films screening at the festival, which serve as inspiration for fashion studies students from Kendall College of Art and Design. A total of 13 looks are designed and displayed on live models during this unconventional fashion show. Music from the shorts films also serve as a focal point.

Film Screenings: Saturday, April 14
@Wealthy Theatre

120 films from all over the world were submitted, and 38 have been selected! 

The international surprise this is year is the amount of films screening from the Islamic Republic of Iran! Five beautiful short pieces add the distinct cultural flair of this country to GRFF film blocks. Canada and France are additional cultures represented.
17 made-in-Michigan are exhibited, including seven from Grand Rapids.
  • “Almost Human” by Ayden Byrnes of East Lansing
  • “Chocolate and Cigarettes” by David Tappan of Detroit
  • “David” by Ben Lemmen of Holland
  • “Dreamer” by Jose Jimenez of Lyons
  • “FOUR-NINETY” by Scott Magie of Holt
  • “Peace During War” by Jennifer Machiorlatti of Paw Paw
  • “Secret” by Shana Gagnon of Rochester Hills
  • “Stigmatic: Our Opioid Crisis” by Garret Morgan of Essexville
From Grand Rapids:
  • “A Name That I Admire” by Sam Smartt
  • “Broken Strings” by Steven Meyaard
  • “Mino Bimaadiziwin” by Shane McSauby
  • “Never Too Late” by Kyle Cortez
  • “Nottingham” by Jacob de la Rosa
  • “Novocain”by  Sloan Inns
  • “Refill” by Carese Bartlet
  • “The Spirit of God is Heavy” by Kendra Larsen
  • Total Apocalypse by Katie Fox-Webb
 Filmmaker Impact Stories
Sunday, April 15
@The Waldron

Sunday, April 15 is the prime networking event for the regional filmmaking community. The Knickerbocker New Holland Brewing hosts GRFF’s Filmmaker Impact Stories from 5 to 8 PM. For this event, regional filmmakers share the story of how film transformed their lives.
Confirmed speakers are:
  • Gabriel Del Castillo, “Season of Rage”
  • Dan Falicki, “Handyman Dan”
  • Katie Fox-Webb, “Total Apocalypse of the Heart”
  • Rachel Floyd, “Black Girls Be Like”
  • Brad Porter, Cornerstone University
  • Scott Magie,” Four-Ninety”
  • Shane McSauby, “Mino Bimaadiziwin”
  • Sam Smartt, Calvin College and “A Name That I Admire”
  • David Tappan, “Chocolate and Cigarettes”

Rhubarb: A spring-time delicacy with pucker power

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Mmmm — rhubarb and strawberry pie

By Jeannie Nichols, Michigan State University Extension

 

Rhubarb is a springtime delicacy that is classified by botanists as a vegetable, but because it is so popular in desserts, it is often recognized as a fruit by many consumers. Rhubarb is traditionally made into sauce or pie, this led to it getting the nickname “pie plant.”

 

Hothouse, or forced, rhubarb is a pink to rosy-red color all the way to the leaf. It will have a milder, more delicate flavor than field or homegrown rhubarb. Use hothouse rhubarb only when fresh because it loses color rapidly when canned or frozen. Medium to thick stalks are best to use because they are the most tender.

 

Fresh field or homegrown rhubarb is available late April through June. It can be mostly green or have a rosy to dark red color and have medium to thick stalks. Homegrown rhubarb is more tender than hothouse, however, both provide a tasty source of calcium and potassium.

 

Remember to cut off and compost, or discard, all rhubarb leaves when you harvest rhubarb. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid which is harmful to eat.

 

Enjoy rhubarb in pies and muffins or as a sauce

 

When rhubarb is combined with strawberries, raspberries, apples and other fruits, the flavor only gets better. Rhubarb also makes a terrific sauce for chicken, venison, halibut and salmon. Adding diced rhubarb to muffins and biscuit recipes not only adds nutritional value but makes the muffins and biscuits sing with flavor without making the batter runny.

 

Rhubarb (courtesy Michigan State University Extension website)

Store rhubarb in the fridge

 

Stalks of rhubarb can be placed in a perforated plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator crisper for two to four weeks. If you add a wet paper towel to the bag of rhubarb, it will help to keep the rhubarb from drying out.

 

Preserve rhubarb by freezing

 

Freeze homegrown rhubarb early in the season when the color is best and the stalks are almost tender. Freezing rhubarb is easy. Just rinse stalks well, dry them with a paper towel and cut them into one or two-inch pieces to fit your freezer containers or freezer bags. If you have an amount you need for a favorite pie, crisp or bread recipe, you can measure that amount into the freezer bag and label it with the date and amount, then when you take it out of the freezer you won’t have to measure the rhubarb before adding it to your recipe. You can also make cooked rhubarb sauce; pack it into containers, leaving one-half inch headspace, label and freeze.

 

Michigan State University Extension’s MI Fresh, has a range of information and resources about Michigan’s bounty of fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamentals. Here you will find information on recommended varieties, storage, food safety and preserving techniques for many fruits and vegetables.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. Reprinted with permission. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888.678.3464).

Not forgotten: Documentary gives a voice to those who survived the Vietnamese re-education camps

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Imagine being a mother sent to a re-education camp — essentially a prison — where there is little food, no medicine and you are forced to do hard labor and knowing that your four-year-old son braving your war-torn country looking for you.

 

This is one of many stories that producer and filmmaker Diem Thuy collected for her documentary “Unforgotten,” the stories of the Vietnamese sent to live in the re-education camps after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. The documentary will be screened Monday, April 2, at the Richard M. DeVos Center’s Loosemore Auditorium located on the Grand Valley State University downtown campus. There is a reception at 6:30 p.m. with the screening at 7:30 p.m.

 

“In 1975 Saigon collapsed and the communist took over,” Thuy said. “They took a million of the South Korean officers to jail. Basically, they say to ‘the re-education camp’ and there was hard labor and illness. For there families, it became difficult in how to find them and support them.”

 

GVSU Professor James Smither, who has interviewed countless veterans and some Vietnamese refugees through the GVSU Veterans History Program that he heads up, said even as a teenager, the re-education camps sounded a little “fishy” to him.

 

“A lot of the debate that went on in the United States had to do with the nature of the enemy,” said GVSU Professor James Smither, who helped coordinate the screening of the film. “There was a tendency among some of the counter culture people to make the North Vietmanese out as basically Asian flower children or something like that….And the fact of the matter is the communists were not nice people.

 

“They were very determined to accomplish what they believe was their mission and part of their mission was basically to eradicate American and Western influence to an extent. So they rounded up basically anyone who was a military officer, government official, police official of a certain level and they put them in these places they called re-education camps.”

 

Even though her own father was in a re-education camp for eight years, Thuy said she never heard any stories of the re-education camps. One day, she receive a phone call that a person she wanted to interview about the camps had died. Realizing that many of the survivors were in their seventies to nineties, Thuy decided she had to make the documentary.

 

“Basically I want to give them a voice to tell them what happened in their lives,” she said.

 

Between a million to 2.5 million Vietnamese were placed in the re-education camps. American studies estimate that about 165,000 people died in the camps, although Thuy said it is probably much higher as 10,000 people still remain missing. The camps were operated in 1986 and two years later, North Vietnam agreed to release all prisoners in the camps. It is estimated that more than 500,000 Vietnamese prisoners and their families resettled in the United States.

 

Thuy said she interviewed between 200-300 people with every story being just heartbreaking.

 

“Some people would still say ‘Oh I tell you but I don’t want it in the documentary because I’m afraid that the communists are still looking for us,’” Thuy said. “They are still afraid. So that is horrible. They are in a [free] country, but they are still afraid.”

 

Smither said for many who came to the United States, the war continued after 1975 with Thuy’s film serving as a reminder to what was taking place after the Fall of Saigon.

 

“It is part of the larger history that helps you understand the full picture better and in some ways it serves as a reminder of the people who served in Vietnam that there really were people in Vietnam who valued the American presence and what the Americans were trying to do even though it didn’t work in the end,” Smither said. Smither believed so much in the importance of sharing this part of history, what happened after the Vietnam War, that he arranged to move his seminar history class to Loosemore Auditorium to host the screening of the film.

 

“I didn’t hear much about the re-education camps until this documentary came out because my family came over by boat,” said Grand Rapids Community College student Tina Tran. “So these other ways that people have come in, I have never heard about them.”

 

Thuy said she hopes the film helps to educate the next generation about what took place in these camps and why so many Vietnamese chose to come to the United States.

 

“Bascially for the young people, ‘Unforgotten’ reminds people how the Vietnamese history is written,” she said. “Especially for the Vietnamese-Americans, ‘Unforgotten’ reminds why you are here and how you came here.”

 

The screening is free and open to the public. To learn more about the film “Unfogetton,” go to unforgottenfilm.com.

 

 

Cat of the week: Autumn

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Autumn is a shy girl, but has tons of love to share

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

 

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Big Sid’s Sanctuary. 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).

 

Meet one of the most introverted kitties we have had in recent years — Autumn. Sadly I have to repost her plea for adoption since her ‘happily ever after’ didn’t last.

 

On March 2, 2018, Dr. Jen received a call from a colleague at our local humane society stating that our pretty girl had been turned in to them by a friend of her initial adopter, stating that Autumn was no longer wanted.

 

It appears that the initial adopter gave this little lady to a friend (in violation of our adoption contract), and that person decided she didn’t want Autumn after all, despite promising the initial adopter that Autumn would be safe and sound.

 

Somehow in the shuffle, Autumn contracted FIV, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, transmitted via a bite wound from an infected cat (she was either let outdoors or was housed with a positive cat that bit her). Since she hasn’t a mean bone in her timid tabby body, there is no risk of her spreading it to the other cats that she shares company with, thankfully.

 

Born in the fall of 2009, Autumn and her still-nursing offspring were originally dumped off in Saranac, and a kindhearted soul swooped in to the rescue.

 

All were hungry, cold, and flea-ridden. Even though she had just been tossed out like garbage with her young kittens, Autumn was relaxed and ate, fed her babies, and slept. Whoever dumped them did not care that they were pretty much ensuring a slow death to this family. There are so many dangers — including bad weather, coyotes, cars, stupid people, and other wild animals.

 

Autumn’s kittens grew, were spayed/neutered and vaccinated, then finally adopted out to great homes. Another older brother, Baelfire, was also dumped in the meantime, and was able to charm his way into Crash’s. This left Autumn, who now was suffering from pneumonia that was a result of her poor life prior to finding us and stress from having to remain in our foster kitten room for so long. She beat her pneumonia, and was able to secure her spot at Crash’s also.

 

Autumn is settling in but is still head shy and uncertain. Potential adopters must be willing to take things slowly, on Autumn’s terms. This sweetie deserves a kind, loving home.

More about Autumn

NOTE: A $825 grant from Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA will enable Crash’s Landing & Big Sid’s Sanctuary, to fund comprehensive exams for five Big Sid’s Sanctuary cats before going to their new home. Each exam would include a full blood panel, dental care, radiographs, urinalysis, antibiotics and pain medication, if needed. Big Sid’s caters exclusively to cats who test positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) or FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). FIV and FeLV are viruses that can, if they flare up, suppress a cat’s immune system. The shelter takes cats with FIV or FeLV from all over Michigan.

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

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

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

On the shelf: ‘Barolo’ by Matthew Gavin Frank

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By Melissa Fox, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

In Barolo, Matthew Gavin Frank takes readers on a trip to explore the food and wine of the Barolo Region of Italy. Frank stays in a tent in a friend’s garden and works at a vineyard, picking grapes for vintner Luciano Sandrone.

 

This book is rich with details of the history and process of wine making, the Piemontese region of Italy, and of the many people the author meets, restaurants he eats at, and friends he makes along the way.

 

Barolo is both travelogue and memoir, unique to its time and place in Frank’s life, so that only he could share these stories in this way.

 

 

 

 

Meet the employer: Sunset Retirement Communities and Services

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By West Michigan Works!

 

Passion meets culture. Service is honor. The culture at Sunset empowers its staff to do the right thing and make a difference in the lives of their residents through exceptional customer service and a heart for their mission.

 

To hear what it’s like to work at Sunset, meet Carol.

 

Name: Carol Holwerda

 

Position: Talent Acquisition Specialist

 

Company: Sunset Retirement Communities & Services

 

Why is Sunset different?

I am so glad you asked! I believe our commitment and passion for our residents sets us apart. We go above and beyond every day to make sure they are loved, respected, safe, well taken of and comfortable.

 

We have 14 individuals who have outlived their resources. We will never turn them away from their home at Sunset. We fundraise over $300,000 a year to ensure they remain in their homes because as our CEO says “if we don’t care for them, who will?”

 

We have amazing employees who give so much of themselves to this company and our residents! We have tuition reimbursement for our students, excellent benefits for all full-time employees and an excellent work culture.

 

What’s new or changing in 2018 for Sunset?


We are very excited to expand our memory care units in Ottawa County and to bring our excellent customer service to this underserved population in our community. We are intentionally focused on employee appreciation and internal promotions during this transition. Our employees are incredible and we want to help them grow in their health care career with us.

 

During an interview, what questions do you want an applicant to ask?


During an interview, I love when applicants ask:

  • What makes Sunset special?
  • Can I grow with this company?
  • What benefits do you have?

What’s your favorite staff event each year?

The Employee Recognition Banquet. This event recognizes all of our staff who have dedicated their lives to our residents and love what they do. Every five years of service, staff get to attend and receive a catered dinner at the Sunnybrook Country Club, a gift, a bonus for their years of service, recognition from our Executive Team, as well as fellowship with other co-workers and their families.

 

When I’m not at work, you can find me ________________.

When I’m not at work, you can find me reading about retention strategies, recruiting, knitting and caring for my family.

 

Sunset is hiring! See all their open positions here.

 

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

Consumers Energy plans new Grand Rapids headquarters

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The location of the new Consumers Energy headquarters.

By Roger C. Morgenstern

Consumers Energy

 

Consumers Energy’s investment in West Michigan continues with plans for a new $20 million headquarters in the city of Grand Rapids to serve the fastest-growing region of its company.

 

The building will house up to 275 employees who support the design and delivery of energy service in the Grand Rapids area, the company’s largest electric service area in Michigan.

 

Those to 275 employees currently are based at the company’s West Kent Service Center, 4000 Clay Ave. SW, Wyoming. The employees include the customer contact center, engineering, business customer care, human resources and customer experience. About 250 workers will remain at the Clay Avenue facility, including operating, maintenance and construction field employees, work management center for all dispatching and scheduling activities and electric system control. The current bill payment center will remain as well. Consumers Energy plans no changes to its East Kent service center in Kentwood or its North Kent facility in Sparta.

 

The six-story, 40,000 square-foot-building, including an onsite parking structure, will be located in the Circuit West area on the city’s west side. Circuit West is a 13-block hub of innovative electricity generation, distribution and storage and energy efficient building construction. Circuit West is led by Consumers Energy and Rockford Construction, which will serve as the new building’s construction manager. The energy provider recently closed on the sale of the property at 501 Alabama St. NW. A groundbreaking for the new headquarters is anticipated later this year with the building complete by 2020.

 

“Our Circuit West investment already includes work underway for an innovative, more responsive and reliable electric distribution system, energy storage and rooftop solar installations,” said Garrick Rochow, senior vice president of operations for Consumers Energy.

 

“Constructing this building within Circuit West shows our continued commitment to a prosperous, growing Grand Rapids and West Michigan region.”

 

Shown here is the finished roadwork at Second Street and Broadway Avenue.

Rochow said locating the building in the city’s West Side, a vibrant area seeing significant redevelopment centered on sustainability and walkability, is a promise to Consumers Energy’s employees of today and tomorrow.

 

“We are very focused on retaining and attracting the workforce of the future, which means providing a work environment that is connected within a community where people can work, live, and play.”

 

Rockford Construction’s corporate headquarters is less than a block west of the planned Consumers Energy building. Rockford has been closely involved with the recent Circuit West building boom.

 

“Our vision is to provide a safe, innovative, sustainable neighborhood on the West Side that is a magnet for people and commerce,” said Mike VanGessel, Rockford Construction’s chief executive officer. “We are pleased to welcome Consumers Energy as a new neighbor within Circuit West.”

 

The announcement comes less than a year after Consumers Energy dedicated its John G. Russell Leadership Center, an $11 million facility on Grand Valley State University’s Robert C. Pew Campus, immediately south of the L. William Seidman Center near downtown Grand Rapids. In June 2016, the company began commercial operation of its 3-megawatt Solar Gardens generating facility in nearby Allendale adjacent to GVSU’s main campus.

 

The new Circuit West building will be constructed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Consumers Energy has constructed all of its recent buildings to LEED standards, including a number in West Michigan, like the Russell Leadership Center and new service centers in Norton Shores and Hamilton.

 

“The Grand Rapids area is our largest electric service region and is seeing continued growth,” Rochow said. “This new building within Circuit West is in response to that growth and our continued commitment to our purpose of world class performance delivering hometown service.”

 

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

Do I have to move out of my home before the sheriff sale?

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By Brenda Long, Michigan State University Extension 

 

Mortgage foreclosure rates have significantly decreased during the past ten years, according to the ATTOM report in January 2018. The number of foreclosure filings in 2017 in Michigan decreased by 42.5 percent compared to 2016.

 

A common misconception for homeowners in foreclosure is that they have to move out of their house before the sheriff sale. When a county deputy or appointed county official posts a notice with the sale date near their door, many people think that is the last date they can stay. However, Michigan law says that those individuals have rights to occupy the house usually for six more months. Some homeowners abandon their property early, paying rent without making an informed decision.

 

Homeowners do have rights during foreclosure, which were discussed in my November 2015 article. After a property is sold at a sheriff’s sale, a foreclosure sale, there is a redemption period. For most properties it is a six month period. If the homeowner moves out and the property has been declared abandoned, the redemption period can be shortened to one month.  For some large properties and those with a lot of equity, more than two-thirds of the loan has been paid, the redemption period may be longer.

 

During the redemption period, the homeowner(s) can continue to live in the property and are not required to make any mortgage payments. They can use this time to save funds and plan their next steps. The homeowner also has the right to sell the property to another person, but if the sale price is for less than the mortgage owed, the bank has to agree to the short sale.

 

If the homeowner can find funds to buy back the property then they can keep it. That is why this time is called a redemption period. At the sheriff’s sale, the purchaser paid a certain amount of money to purchase the property. Often the purchaser will be the homeowner’s mortgage company, although it could also be another third party. The amount necessary for the homeowner to buy back or redeem the property is the amount the purchaser paid plus some allowable costs and a daily interest rate based upon your mortgage loan interest rate. A homeowner can learn the sale price for the property by obtaining a copy of the sheriff’s deed from the Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located. They only have to pay the purchase price from the sheriff’s sale even if it is substantially less than the loan amount.

 

Before moving, if that is the choice, the homeowner should check with their county Register of Deeds office to be sure the property was actually sold.

 

Going through foreclosure is the right option for some Michigan homeowners. Knowing that they can continue living in their house with no mortgage payments for six months after the sheriff sale can keep a roof over their head and provide time to plan next steps. They should also know their rights during their redemption period.

 

Michigan State University Extension has released a toolkit, now in both English and Spanish, for homeowners who are experiencing or have previously experienced foreclosure. This toolkit will equip these individuals and families with tools to help them recover their financial stability in the case that a recovery of their home is not possible. The toolkit is available to download free at MIMoneyHealth.org.

 

For more information about foreclosure in Michigan, go to the housing link at www.mimoneyhealth.org or www.michigan.gov/mshda. Michigan State University Extension offices in several counties have certified foreclosure counselors you can talk to for free about your rights and assist you to think about your options in the foreclosure process.

 

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

On the shelf: ‘Excellent Women’ by Barbara Pym

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Reviews, , ,

By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

How to explain the soothing yet buoyant effect that Barbara Pym’s two best novels have on one? Excellent Women and Some Tame Gazelle are both wonderfully therapeutic reads for people fed up with modern life. And also for those who just love relationship novels laced with dry humor. I re-read Excellent Women every ten years or so since it is so enjoyable, and I was delighted to see that cutting-edge literary critics have decided that Barbara Pym is once again making a comeback. She’s made a couple of comebacks since her books were published in the ’50s, as new generations discover her subtle charm.

 

Set in post World War II England, Excellent Women lets us share in the joys and disappointments of one Mildred Lathbury, who leads a mild-mannered life, as one of those “excellent women” who is always helping out in the parish. There are many uncomfortable life situations that Mildred is drawn into that she believes exceed her experience of men and relationships, but she carries on admirably, much to her surprise.

 

From the gently mysterious beginning to the satisfyingly concluded ending Excellent Women is a wonderful throw-back of a story.

 

 

Kent County commissioners approve hiring two experts to respond to emerging public health concerns

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , , , , , ,

By Lisa LaPlante

Kent County

 

The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted this morning to approve the addition of two full-time Public Health Epidemiologist positions in the Health Department; one to assist with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), vapor intrusion and other environmental issues, and the other to address the opioid epidemic.

 

In 2017, the Health Department became aware of an investigation by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) regarding contaminated groundwater in the Belmont area. Water in a number of homes in that area is contaminated with PFAS.  “The staff at the Health Department have been on the front lines of informing and educating residents regarding test results, the known health consequences of PFAS, and ways to limit exposure,” said Jim Saalfeld, Chair of the Kent County Board of Commissioners. “As more areas of contamination are discovered, it is clear we need to adjust staffing levels to meet the needs of our residents.”

 

The person hired for this Epidemiologist position will be expected to provide subject matter expertise, conduct health surveillance, coordinate specimen collection, exercise legal authorities when applicable under direction of the Health Officer, communicate with residents and health providers, and be the primary intermediary with other agencies. In addition to PFAS, this role is also necessary to assist in the investigation and response of other environmental public health threats such as vapor intrusion.

 

The second position will provide leadership and administration of the Kent County Opioid Task Force (KCOTF). This Task Force convened three years ago under the coordination of the Red Project. “In Kent County, the rate of overdose deaths has increased four-fold since 2000, with 70 opioid-related deaths and over 680 opioid overdose-related Emergency Department visits in 2016,” said Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for Kent County. “In 2017, Kent County reported 93 opioid-related deaths with an average age of 39 years old, and we still are awaiting toxicology reports on a number of suspicious deaths. The staff of the Health Department are in a unique position to provide leadership in efforts to address education, prevention and access to recovery services.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently called the opioid issue “the largest man-made epidemic in the history of the world.”

 

The cost of both full-time positions will be funded by General Funds previously appropriated to the 2017-18 Health Fund budget for Emerging Issues. The Board is continuing to work with State lawmakers to make additional funding for these issues a priority in the 2019 Michigan budget.

Helping others helps heal a volunteer’s soul

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Health, Kids Activities, Local Business, Non-Profits, Pets/Animals, Volunteers

All images courtesy of Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding Facebook page

 

By Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding

 

I used to think I wasn’t a good enough person to volunteer. People who volunteer are happy, generous, full of energy and compassion among a myriad of other things. I always looked up to these people, and still do. I never saw myself as capable of joining such a group of wonderful individuals because I didn’t meet the criteria for what I thought I needed to be to volunteer, and more importantly, make an impact in my community. Then I learned about Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, a nonprofit organization located in Rockford, Michigan, just 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids.

 

Equest Center is a therapeutic horse farm that provides riding lessons to children and adults with disabilities. Their mission is to “improve quality of life through equine-based therapy to physically, mentally and socially/emotionally challenged individuals.’’ Equest has a unique program that integrates academic, social and physical skills, using the horse as a catalyst. Kids and adults alike, from ages 2-102 have all benefited from the strength, confidence and skills that come from riding horses.

 

There are many factors that go into providing these incredible people with what has been lifesaving therapy for some of the riders. Funding, facilities, horses and staff all play a vital role in the operation of the Equest Center, but what stands out the most are the volunteers. I am fortunate enough to be a part of this incredible organization and know many of the volunteers who commit their time to bettering the lives of others.

 

I never had a great desire to volunteer, and my reason for doing so was selfish. I came to Equest to pad my resume so I looked better to potential employers, plain and simple. Little did I know how much it would impact my life. In order to understand why volunteering at Equest impacted me so much, let me share a little about myself.

 

Growing up I was smart and athletic, and seemingly happy. I carried a 4.0 in school, achieved every academic award you could think of, started every single basketball game of my high school career and seemed unbreakable from the outside looking in. Ironic, considering how broken I was. Yes, I was smart and yes, I was athletic. I was responsible, I was loyal, and I was a good friend, but I was fighting every single day not to succumb to the anxiety and depression that had a grip so tight on me that I struggled at every breath. Each morning my eyes opened from the restless night before felt like a curse rather than a blessing.

 

It was my senior year of high school when I had given everything I had to combat the war my own mind was waging against me. I was drowning. I had shame that blanketed my entire being, weighing me down at every step. I put on a facade every day just to keep people at bay, never hinting that anything was wrong.

 

I forgot to mention, I am stubborn. I shouldn’t be here today, but I refuse to lose.

 

I packed my bags and moved myself, my scars, my shame and what was left of my pride half way across the country. Some said I was running, but I didn’t care what I was doing as long as I was starting over. I arrived in West Michigan knowing very few people and had plans to work hard and go to school. I instantly began working hard that summer and the next few years as I worked towards completion of my undergrad career. It was my last semester when I realized I was in no way ready for the “real world”. Those forsaken thoughts of not being good enough and the fear of failure crept back into my mind. Over the past few years I have learned to shut them out, but sometimes they were just too loud. I could not go back down that path.

 

I met with an advisor who assured me my freak out about entering the real world was completely normal. She gave me some tools for success, some internships to look into and left me with the suggestion that I add some volunteer work to my resume. I walked out of the office fully intending on pursuing the tools she gave me as references and the internships she suggested, but thought I would save the volunteering for the happy, generous, full of energy and compassionate people. I was still pretty sure I wasn’t a good enough person to volunteer.

 

Little did I know.

 

I found about Equest through a friend and decided to give it a shot. Probably the best decision of my life. Equest is a place that is therapy disguised as fun, and the riders are some of the most fantastic people ever. They have every excuse to quit, yet they persevere in the relentless pursuit of personal and physical growth. It is one of the most inspiring things to witness, and such an honor to be a part of. I’ve crafted relationships with these riders, the beautiful horses, and the absolutely amazing staff and volunteers. Most people think about volunteering as something we give to an organization, but in this case, Equest gave me so much more than I could ever return the favor for. It changed my perspective and gave me a fresh outlook on life. It gave me encouragement, hope and joy. It is a fact that the Equest Center is therapeutic for the riders, but I am here to tell you that it is just as therapeutic for the volunteers.

 

There is a never-ending need for volunteers at the Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding located in Rockford, and everyone is welcome to come help. No horse experience is necessary, they will teach you! Don’t make excuses, the experience of contributing to this paramount therapy and meeting the tenacious riders who benefit from it is something that you do not want to pass up on. Volunteers are vital to Equest, considering there are just two full time staff members and over 180 riders who come out weekly. There are over 85 volunteers needed to help at Equest each week. Just a few hours of your time will not only contribute to a great cause and enable riders to get the crucial therapy they need, but it just might change your life like it did mine. To learn how you can become a part of this incredible organization go to www.equestcenter.org. You won’t regret it!

New software enhances the study of animal ecology

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, Pets/Animals, Tech Trends, , , , ,
DeRuiter’s team, which included two students, delivered a workshop at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and allowed the students to develop meaningful connections with influential researchers. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)

By Hannah Ebeling, Calvin College

 

“The underlying motivation of our work and research is always inquisitiveness and wonder at animal ecology,” said Stacy DeRuiter, professor of mathematics and statistics at Calvin College. “We can learn so much about creation by exploring.”

 

DeRuiter has for years studied marine animals, using bio-logging technology.

 

Recognizing a need

 

“Bio-logging studies, where data on animal movements are collected using small, animal-borne devices that either store or transmit sensor data, are growing rapidly in numbers and in scope,” said DeRuiter.

 

As the technology advances, there are more opportunities to track longer and more frequent data sets of animal behavior. Instead of tracking the animal once every few seconds, researchers are now receiving feedback multiple times a second. However, this means there is much more data to account for and sort through, explained DeRuiter.

 

“While these tags offer exciting opportunities to observe animal behavior in unprecedented detail, there is a desperate need for freely available, easy-to-use, flexible tools to facilitate proper analysis and interpretation of the resulting data,” DeRuiter said.

 

Developing accessible and efficient software

 

“We thought it would be worthwhile to spend a year making better software that would be more accessible, as well as creating documentation and a workshop to make it easier for people to use in general,” she said.

 

Throughout summer 2017, DeRuiter led a collaborative project developing software tools for analysis of data from animal-borne movement-sensors. Her team included two students, who developed tools and delivered a workshop at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, introducing researchers to the tools and providing hands-on practice.

 

Before DeRuiter made the proposal for the project she received more than 30 letters from other researchers, who would benefit from her work, in support of the idea.

 

“It was amazing having the support of the community that really wanted this to happen but either did not have the time or funding to make it possible,” she said.

 

Gaining meaningful experience and connections

 

This project allowed students to develop some meaningful connections with influential researchers, explained DeRuiter.

 

“That is part of the reason I wanted them to come to Scotland and the University of St. Andrews,” she said. “They had done such great work and software development, and I wanted them to see the workshop play out.”

 

“The thing I enjoyed most was participating in the international workshop at the end of the summer,” said David Sweeny, a student researcher. “It was amazing to see how many different kinds of research topics from around the world are using the software functions that we have developed and translated.”

 

Sweeny said he is interested in this research because it gives him an insight into the lives of magnificent marine creatures during the times and in places that he otherwise would not be able to observe were it not for tags.

 

“This research provides so many ways to learn how we can best protect these animals,” he said. “Given that I care a lot about protecting the environment, this work is really important to me.”

 

Opening the door to future research

 

“One of the most important things that the Reformed tradition tells us about being Christian is that we don’t do it alone; we do it in community. Science, for example, proceeds by the careful work of many, many hands,” said DeRuiter. “The goals of the project were to democratize this kind of research and level the playing field for those who don’t have the same mentorship, training, or funding to buy software.”

 

This software will help DeRuiter track whale and dolphin behavior as well as open the door for other researchers to non-intrusively explore other animal habits.

 

“The availability of this software will only enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of current and future work being done around the world,” said Sweeny. “It will allow for increased collaboration between scientists which will have many different kinds of benefits in the future.”

 

Reprinted with permission from Calvin College.

Cat of the week: Pumbaa

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local Business, Non-Profits, Pets/Animals, , , , , ,
Hey, there, handsome!

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Big Sid’s Sanctuary. 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).

This dashing and debonair buff beauty gave Dr. Jen quite the runaround for months as he dined and then darted, hiding out in a hole in the cement foundation of her front porch. For weeks on end, Dr. Jen and her son tried to no avail to coax him into their care, tempting him with treats, kibble and canned food, but the wary and worried tom cat (born in the spring of 2013) would have nothing to do with them.

 

Every time Dr. Jen caught sight of Pumbaa hanging out in the shrubbery, she told him that he would have ‘no worries for the rest of his days’ if he would only allow her to take him in, but it wasn’t until he became ill from a horribly abscessed ear (cat fight) that he begrudgingly allowed her to lay her hands on him. Armed with broth packets, she laid down on her porch and hand fed him bits of shrimp and fish until she was finally able to gently reach out, scruff him and place him into an open carrier. Surprisingly, he didn’t fight her on this until she zipped the top shut, then all hell broke loose as he, well, tried to break loose. A discussion ensued, with Dr. Jen explaining how things were going to be, and he agreed to settle down for the car ride to the clinic so she could tend to his wounds.

 

Once at the office, Dr. Jen and Pumbaa got down to business: she anesthetized him in order to surgically drain his wounded left ear, neuter him, remove an engorged tick from his back, run lab work (he was anemic), implant his microchip, vaccinate him and treat for external and internal parasites (he was loaded with intestinal worms). Given how long he had been out and about fending for himself, it was no shock when he tested positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) — it was a darn shame, but not unexpected as intact males are always getting themselves into trouble due to surging hormones.

 

Looking for a home that encourages lounging

Dr. Jen kept the former porch kitty in her half-bath at home since it was Memorial Day weekend and she didn’t want him to feel abandoned if he spent too much time alone in a strange place. However, the first two nights he spent quite a bit of time trying to get out the window that Dr. Jen had the foresight to reinforce with duct tape. He also scratched the paint on her door and windowsill. However, by day three, Pumbaa was ready to accept head rubs and didn’t protest too much when Dr. Jen cleaned his draining abscess. He spent the first few days of the following week at the clinic with her, then once she was certain he wasn’t going to flip out due to sensory overload, she packed her boy up and sent him down to our sanctuary.

 

At first Pumbaa was afraid of his own shadow, preferring to hunker down in an open-door cage, but after being on the receiving end of continuous cuddle sessions and tender handling, he soon became putty in the volunteers’ hands. In fact, the transformation from frightened and semi-feral to comfortable and laid-back was absolutely astonishing; not only does Pumbaa enjoy the spotlight now, but he simply adores being the center of attention as verified by his striking supermodel pose for his photo op here!

 

We could not be more proud of our emblazoned, bold boy who not only seeks out affection but brazenly demands it! Every single time we gaze upon his serene face we are thankful that he trusted Dr. Jen to care for him. Patience paid off as he is now living a life that suits him perfectly and we are sure it’s better than he ever could have imagined possible!

More about Pumbaa

NOTE: A $825 grant from Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA will enable Crash’s Landing & Big Sid’s Sanctuary, to fund comprehensive exams for five Big Sid’s Sanctuary cats before going to their new home. Each exam would include a full blood panel, dental care, radiographs, urinalysis, antibiotics and pain medication, if needed. Big Sid’s caters exclusively to cats who test positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) or FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). FIV and FeLV are viruses that can, if they flare up, suppress a cat’s immune system. The shelter takes cats with FIV or FeLV from all over Michigan.

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

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

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

On the shelf: ‘The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt’ by Caroline Preston

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

By Kristen Krueger-Corrado, Grand Rapids Public Library

 

In 1920, Frankie Pratt graduates from high school and receives a scrapbook as a gift. Intent on becoming a writer, she attends Vassar College, and finds work in New York and Paris. Told through Frankie’s eyes, the life of a young woman trying to find her place in the world comes to life. The remarkable thing about this book, however, is the way the story is told.

 

The entire book is formatted as Frankie’s scrapbook. It is filled with ephemera such as postcards, letters, magazine ads and more. The story of her life is told through her scrapbook entries and the style of the 1920s is vivid. The reader wants to be able to touch the items in the scrapbook, to ask Frankie questions, and to see the story from the viewpoint of other characters. But this is Frankie’s story and we see her world only from her perspective through what she shares in her scrapbook. This is a fun book and a quick read, but you will linger, looking at the beautiful and detailed layout of each page.

Calvin classroom pilots cutting-edge Google technology

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, Tech Trends, , , , ,
Image courtesy of Calvin College

By Matt Kucinski, Calvin College

 

A 90-minute drive … replaced by a single click. Thanks to Google, the course catalog is expanding, and students at three colleges, separated by 100 miles, are learning together.

 

“This isn’t happening anywhere else on this scale,” said Roman Williams, assistant professor of sociology at Calvin College.

 

Leading the way

In collaboration with Google, the Michigan Colleges Alliance is piloting the Google Course Share Collaboration, a new approach that aims to expand course options at smaller private colleges, while still retaining the faculty-driven teaching model.

 

Calvin, Alma, and Albion are participating in the pilot in spring 2018, each offering one course available to all three campuses.

 

“The whole idea is to offer courses that might not otherwise be offered because they are so specialized that student interest on one campus might not be enough to achieve the desired level of enrollment,” said Williams, who is teaching his Visual Toolkit course on Monday nights to six Alma, seven Albion, and six Calvin students. “Adding compelling technology to the mix amplifies students’ experiences.”

 

Powered by Google

How it works? Each campus is making a Google Extended Classroom available, complete with Hangouts Meet—Google’s video meeting software—and Jamboard—Google’s 55-inch, 4K interactive display, which is spurring collaboration through linking up digital whiteboards across the colleges. And each student has been given a Chromebook from their respective institution.

 

“The Jamboard is an interactive whiteboard that you can all share,” said Emma Chung, a junior digital communications major at Calvin who is taking “Media Theory and Culture” via Google Course Share through Albion College. “So, if Albion students are writing on it, we can see what they are writing, kind of like a Google Doc in a portable whiteboard form, but it’s still treated like a whiteboard. It’s pretty neat.”

 

The classrooms have two large monitors, each showing students from the other two participating colleges. Steelcase, the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world, has also joined the effort, and will be outfitting each classroom with comfortable seating and in helping create collaborative spaces for students to thrive.

 

Collaborating across colleges

Learning how best to collaborate from a distance takes a little time, says Williams. But, he says that students having the unique experience of helping pioneer a new way of learning, combined with the novelty of working with “cool technology,” are already going a long way in producing higher levels of student participation, engagement, and enthusiasm about these courses.

 

Students agree.

 

“I think it’s a really enriching experience. You get a chance to interact with students from another campus that isn’t yours, who you haven’t spent four years with,” said Taylor Hartson, a junior sociology major at Calvin. “It’s also a good experience for people considering going to grad school. ‘How do I interact with strangers for the first time? How do I adjust to a class that isn’t taught in a way that’s the way I’ve been taking the last several years?’”

 

Hartson, who is taking Williams’ class, is looking forward to more opportunities to hear from classmates representing various disciplines and multiple institutions. “It’s interesting to hear the perspectives of those not in this field on an up-and-coming methodology, to kind of explore that together, to see what it looks like to use this methodology in communications or in biology. It’s cool to hear all these perspectives.”

 

Opening more options

The pilot program is testing the viability of an academic-resource-sharing model between colleges, giving students and faculty more access to resources. The Michigan Colleges Alliance represents an ideal platform for launching a new course delivery system like this one. The MCA consists of 14 smaller private institutions. But, collectively, the alliance comprises the third largest student body in the state of Michigan.

 

What Google Course Share allows is for private institutions to keep their student-centered learning and close faculty interaction—hallmarks of the experiences they currently offer—all while expanding their course options for students.

 

One Calvin student wrote in her reflection after the first class, ‘I LOVE THIS TECHNOLOGY! That’s all I have to say for now. I feel like I’m living in the future.’

 

“On many levels she is correct,” said Williams, “she is living into the future. Increasingly a company’s workforce is spread across multiple locations and using meeting/collaboration technology like Google’s Jamboard and Hangouts Meet are the norm. A student who experiences a course like the ones we’re offering gains aptitudes and skills for thriving in the global economy.”

 

Calvin College’s Center for Social Research (CSR) has been tasked by MCA with evaluating the pilot program. Through surveys, focus groups, and research, CSR will provide an evaluation by the end of April 2018. The plan is to publish these results after the final evaluation.

 

Reprinted with permission from Calvin College.

You Are Not Your Mental Illness

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Non-Profits, , , , ,
Photo courtesy of Cherry Health

By Maram Hekhuis, Outpatient Therapist at Heart of the City Counseling Center

 

Many people either do not recognize or are in denial that they have mental illness, even though mental illnesses are very common and widely spread in our society. This can be due to fear and anxiety about being judged or stigmatized by others, not being prepared to cope with learning that they have a mental illness, or their loved one has a mental illness. Many people fail to recognize that mental illness does not define who you are! You have a diagnosis of mental illness, but you are not your mental illness.

 

You are not schizophrenic, autistic, or depressed. You have diagnosis of schizophrenia, autism, or depression. Having a mental illness does not mean you are robbed of the opportunities to have a quality life such as having a job, being in a relationship, building a family, having safe housing, having access to health care and/or being affiliated with a certain group. It is important to recognize that even though you have a mental illness and some challenges associated with your mental illness symptoms, you still have many strengths and abilities that help you move forward in life to achieve your goals and dreams. There is nothing to be ashamed of for having a mental illness. Having a mental illness is like having a medical problem. It is your body’s way of telling you something is off, and it is time to do something about it by seeking help.

 

Mental illness is treatable! Most people with mental illness continue to function in their daily lives and are able to live a fulfilling life. If you feel you are unable to manage your mental illness, experiencing significant symptoms that cause significant distress or impairment in social, work, or other important areas of functioning, then seek professional support. There is nothing to be ashamed of for seeking support. When you get the flu and a high fever for a couple of days, you will seek medical attention, so when you are feeling mentally exhausted and sick, then make sure to seek mental health attention.

 

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health

WKTV Government Report: Recent news from our federal and state officials

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Politics, , , , , , ,

By WKTV Staff

Peters Consumer Protection Provisions Pass the Senate

On March 16, the Senate passed two consumer protection provisions introduced by U.S. Senator Gary Peters that will help private student loan borrowers rehabilitate their credit and protect children from identity theft. The provisions were approved as part of a broader banking bill.

 

“Student debt is one of the biggest hurdles to financial success for young people,” said Senator Peters. “My commonsense provision will help student loan borrowers in default fix their mistakes and get back on track, while increasing the likelihood of repayment for lenders.”

 

Under current law, federal loans may be rehabilitated one time, and borrowers can repair their credit by removing a default. However, private lenders currently do not have the ability to remove negative credit information on borrowers who participate in loan rehabilitation programs. Peters’ provision, based on the bipartisan Federal Adjustment in Reporting (FAIR) Student Credit Act, he introduced with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) would allow private student loan borrowers who have successfully completed a series of on-time payments to remove a default from their credit report. More here.

Peters Floor Remarks on Supporting Small Farmers

Peters’ Bipartisan Bill Would Strengthen Loan Program for Small Farmers

 

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), spoke on the Senate floor March 15 on the need to preserve access to capital for small and disadvantaged farmers to start and grow their operations. This week, Peters introduced the Farm Service Agency Loan Flexibility Act, which will provide greater flexibility for the FSA loan program to provide loan and loan guarantees to farmers during periods of high demand. More here.

 

Committee Approves Peters Bills to Support Small Businesses

Bipartisan Bills Improve Awareness of Employee Stock Ownership Plans and Help Small Businesses Access Patent Protections

 

On March 15, the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee approved two bipartisan bills introduced by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) that support small businesses. Peters’ bills will increase awareness of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and help small businesses protect their intellectual property through patents. Peters introduced both bills with U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID). More here.

Peters Statement on Bipartisan Bill to Boost Consumer Protections and Support Economic Growth

On March 14, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) issued the following statement on Senate passage of the bipartisan Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act:

 

“Commonsense financial regulation is essential to supporting Michigan families, growing our economy, and creating jobs. I am proud to have served on the House Financial Services Committee and the conference committee that wrote and finalized Dodd-Frank. This important law cracked down on risky trading and created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect American families. I am committed to defending these critical consumer protections and ensuring our financial regulators have the necessary tools to keep our economy stable and growing…” More here.

Peters, Colleagues Tell FCC That Mobility Fund Map Has ‘Gaps’

On March 12, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), joined a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai expressing serious concerns about the agency’s recently released Mobility Fund Phase II (MF II) map. The purpose of this fund is to allocate $4.53 billion over the next 10 years to preserve and expand mobile coverage to rural areas. More here.

Huizenga: Pregnancy Resource Centers Should Be Treasured, Not Targeted By Government

On March 14, Congressman Bill Huizenga spoke in support of pregnancy resource centers, the important role they play in communities across West Michigan, and the freedom of conscience. More here.

The Senate Financial Reform Legislation Should Be The Floor, Not The Ceiling

On March 14, Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) released the following statement after the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to reform Dodd-Frank and provide much needed relief to community and regional financial institutions.

 

“For years we have seen the one-size fits all regulatory structure of Dodd-Frank slow economic growth and reduce the ability of community financial institutions to lend to hardworking families and small business job creators across the nation. The bipartisan Senate legislation to reform Dodd-Frank is a good start; however it should be viewed as the floor, not the ceiling. Currently, there are dozens of noncontroversial, bipartisan bills that have passed the House dealing with additional issues that negatively impact consumers. I look forward to taking this opportunity to work with my colleagues to strengthen the Senate reform package and include some of the bipartisan measures passed by the House to make the final legislation even more effective.”

 

 

On the shelf: ‘Boy 30529: A Memoir’ by Felix Weinberg

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

By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

At age 82 Felix Weinberg started writing down the history that he had tried to forget for 65 years.

 

“Anyone who survived the extermination camps must have an untypical story to tell. The typical camp story of the millions ended in death…”

 

The writing is simple and eloquent, and the story unfolds with a detachment that lends it a somber power, as if he is describing events from a hellish dream world.

 

Weinberg explains, “In the camps I tried to acquire the ability to look without seeing, listen without hearing and smell without taking in what was around me. I cultivated a kind of self-induced amnesia. I feared that being made to look at hangings, seeing piles of corpses on a daily basis, would somehow contaminate my mind permanently.”

 

In a reversal of our usual consciousness, he credits his night-time dreams of his beloved childhood in Czechoslovakia, with sustaining him during the bizarre waking hours.

 

The democratic republic of Czechoslovakia was short lived, and Weinberg’s happy life, along with the whole Czech Jewish community, came to an end with Hitler’s invasion of the Sudeten. His father was able to get out to England, but the rest of the family was detained, and the author’s teenage years from 12 to 17 follow the terrible road from the relocation to local Jewish ghettos, to the camps, and finally to the Nazi’s insane “final solution”.

 

The cover of the book speaks of depths of emotion that could never be adequately expressed. A beaming little boy, gazes admiringly, lovingly, at his older brother, as they stand together holding hands. Neither his brother nor his mother survived the camps.

 

“My brother was too young to work. I am convinced that, given the choice, my mother would have gone to the gas chambers with him but I doubt that was an option. I believe she died in some other slave labour camp. All my attempts to trace her, all my searches of archives for further information, have proved futile. It does not do to dwell on these thoughts if one wants to live the semblance of a normal life, but I invite anyone who wishes to share my nightmares to picture that group of children, including my terrified little brother, being herded into the gas chamber.”

 

Felix’s youth and strength aided him, and a large amount of luck, when so many died at every turn, going from Terezin, to Auschwitz-Birkenau, to Blechhammer, and the final death march to Gross-Rosen. He takes no credit for his survival, and often thanks others for every small kindness. There are many different kinds of holocaust stories, and all are deeply effecting.  Felix Weinberg’s tale is one that no one should miss.

Dishing It: Annual Taste of Kentwood serves up special sampling of food delights within the city

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Staff from The Candied Yam serve up some of the restaurant’s specialties.

By Lindsay Papciak

Community Writer

 

The 17th Annual Taste of Kentwood took place this past Thursday, March 15, at the newly-renovated Kentwood Activities Center. The event featured 15 local favorites and each provided tastes of popular items on their menu. Guests had the chance to experience the diversity of Kentwood by attending one of two sessions during the evening.

 

Guests were welcomed into the Kentwood Activities Center with the smells of American and international cuisines. “[The Taste of Kentwood is] where neighbors and friends comes together and get to taste what’s great about Kentwood,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said.

 

Residents enjoying the Taste of Kentwood at the newly renovated Kentwood Activities Center.

“This event provides opportunity for local businesses to showcase their cuisine and advertise to new customers,” Kentwood Parks and Recreation Marketing and Events Coordinator Laura Barbrick said. “It’s a great way to sample restaurants that you’ve wanted to try or may not normally get to.”

 

Local favorite The Candied Yam featured the restaurant’s fried chicken and sweet potato muffins.  Co-Owner Jessica Ann Tyson loved being able to share her heritage and favorite recipes with old and new faces. “This is where the community thrives,” Tyson said. “People are working and living and playing and this is the other side of it. We are working and they are playing. So taking the opportunity to mix us all together is really nice.”

 

Tallarico’s Boardwalk Subs featured its Italian sub as well as its ham and turkey with original ‘herb de provance’ which is an herb mayo on their house-made white or wheat bread. Owner Chris Tallarico now runs five locations, so the Taste of Kentwood is a place for him to reconnect with Boardwalk Subs regulars as well as share why they were voted “#1 Best Subs in Grand Rapids” in 2017. “The food part is easy,” Tallarico said. “One thing that sets us apart is the experience we give. We treat people at Boardwalk the way you would be treated at a full service restaurant.”

 

One local resident enjoys his food at this year’s Taste of Kentwood event.

Tallarico has held down a booth at this event since he opened his first Boardwalk Subs in Kentwood in 2003. “We keep doing Taste of Kentwood because of the people,” Tallarico said. “Everyone is smiling and having a good time.”

 

“This event continues to grow in popularity every year,” Barbrick said. “We estimate that over 500 people came through our doors throughout the evening. Eventually, we may need to relocate to a larger space, but it’s a good problem to have.”

 

For upcoming Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department events, visit www.kentwood.us/recreation/.

Meet the employer: Paragon D&E

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By West Michigan Works!

 

Paragon D&E is a full-service tooling and machining company located in Grand Rapids, Mich. They design and manufacture tools and machines needed to make products in a variety of industries such as aerospace, oil & gas, automotive and many more.

 

Paragon D&E is currently seeking candidates for multiple openings. If you’re looking for a job, Britteny Willis, Human Resource Representative at Paragon, has shared some inside information about joining their team.

 

When you meet a job seeker at a hiring event, what questions do you want them to ask you?

 

Here are some of the questions that we look for job seekers to ask us:

  • What do you do at Paragon D&E?
  • What’s the coolest thing about Paragon?
  • What kind of benefits can I receive from working here?

Why is Paragon different?

 

Our family owned, privately held company has been around for over 75 years. Our employees are genuinely nice, care for each other, and are extremely dedicated to their work. They know how much we appreciate them and are constantly referring others to Paragon so they can join in the fun here. We serve many industries, allowing our employees to change careers without ever leaving the building!

 

What opportunities are currently available at Paragon?

  1. Apprentices – Machinists & Mold Makers
  2. Class-A Truck Driver
  3. CNC Machinist (Nights)
  4. Controller
  5. Lead Mold Maker
  6. Material Handler
  7. Mold Maker
  8. Supply Chain Clerk

Fill in the blank. When I’m not at work, you can find me _______.

 

Hunting, fishing, snowboarding, fixing my car, anything outside

 

See all of Paragon D&E’s job openings here.

 

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

Stories from Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan: An inclusive college experience

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By Emily Perton, Executive Director, Ready For Life

 

Recently I was taking a walk-through Hope College’s campus. As I walked, I came across a mentor from the Ready for Life program. We talked about how she had been listening to the Hope College radio station and heard one of the Ready For Life students broadcasting his weekly radio show. She asked me about a graduate from last year, and I had the pleasure of sharing how she was employed and living with some other graduates of Ready For Life. We parted ways, and I kept walking. I soon encountered one of the Ready for Life students hurrying to get to her dance class. I walked on and came across a Hope College professor who shared he was eager for basketball season to get started and how thankful he was to have one of the Ready for Life guys help out with the team. I ended my walk at the Ready For Life classroom where ten Ready for Life students and five mentors were playing board games on a Friday afternoon. In my ten-minute walk across campus, I was able to see the effect the Ready or Life program has!

 

Ready For Life Academy provides an inclusive college experience for adults with intellectual disabilities at both Hope and Calvin College. The program was established to provide an inclusive transition option for students ages 18-26. This Spring we have 12 students at Hope College and 5 students at Calvin College. The students audit 2 college classes each semester. They also take life-skill/transition classes taught by a certified special education teacher. They volunteer on campus or out in the community starting their sophomore year in the 4-year program. On top of the educational experience, the students are also gaining social skills through relationships with mentors on campus. Each semester between the 2 campus’ we have 30-40 college students who mentor the Ready For Life students. The students engage in many different clubs and activities on the campus where they are having an opportunity to receive the college experience.

 

At Ready For Life we desire to give students a place where they belong. We want them to know they make a difference and that when they are absent, we miss them. Once the students feel connected to the college community, they can believe in themselves and learn how to become independent adults. Throughout their four years in the program they gain the skills necessary to achieve the two goals of the program: independent living and paid employment.

 

As a mother of two young boys with Down Syndrome and the Executive Director of Ready For Life, I desire for them to have an enriched life with every opportunity available to them. I must admit when we adopted our oldest son with Down Syndrome we didn’t think about him attending college. I am not sure if we thought much past kindergarten when he was twenty-one months. But now as he, nine years old, and his brother, six years old, are attending school with their peers and experiencing inclusion, I envision them experiencing college life following High School. The requirements needed to get into the Ready For Life program are now the long-term goals we share at their IEP meetings. Our boys see themselves on a college track; Nico is determined to go to Calvin, and Gus is determined to go to Hope — apparently, we will be a house divided.

 

If you are interested in learning more about your child’s future as a college student, check out the Ready For Life program at rflnetwork.org, or sign-up to come to our “Visit Day” at Calvin College on Friday, March 9, 2018, at rflnetwork.org/events.

 

Reprinted with permission from Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan

Civic Theatre has a few tricks up its sleeve for the upcoming season including a not-yet-to-be-named musical

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , , , ,

 

By Nancy Brozek

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre

 

From start to finish, this year’s lineup promises to surprise, delight, and challenge audiences in the way only live theatre can.  Civic Theatre’s 2018-2019 season is brimming with titles you will recognize from Broadway and your favorite books, along with one show so exciting that we are not able to reveal its name until later in the season.

 

Civic Theatre Executive and Artistic Director Bruce Tinker notes, “We were very fortunate to secure the rights to this show – but only if we agreed to withhold revealing the title until a later date this season. The chance to produce one of the most successful and entertaining musicals of recent history was too important to pass up.” Tinker continued, “As a community theatre, it isn’t unusual for rights to be released with strong guidelines.  If a show is touring, currently on Broadway, or in production at an (equity) theatre in a geographic location deemed ‘near,’ then our rights are often restricted. One of the examples mentioned is the reason why we are keeping the title under wraps for now.  We can share, this show will be produced on our stage February/March 2019 and . . .it’s a MUSICAL, it’s BIG, and it’s filled with FUN”.

 

There is a delicious sense of anticipation when you are waiting for the curtain to rise. For Civic Theatre, that moment is even more tantalizing with a season filled with love, mystery, sacrifice, dreams and an overall sense of WOW!!

 

Season Ticket Packages are on sale now, to purchase online visit www.grct.org, order by phone at 616-222-6650, or in person in Civic Theatre’s box office.  Ticket Packages are $135.  Single tickets will go on sale August 22.

 

 

Steel Magnolias

Playwright – Robert Harling

Sept. 7-23, 2018

 

From a small-town beauty parlor in Louisiana, the outspoken Truvy and her new assistant Annelle treat their clientele to shampoos, haircuts, and advice, not necessarily in the order.  When the local socialite’s daughter marries a good ol’boy and decides to start a family, complications from her diabetes force all to face life’s big questions with the strength of steel and the fleeting beauty of magnolias.

 

Number the Stars

Playwright – Dr. Douglas W. Larche

Based on – Sean Hartley’s adaptation of Lois Lowry’s book Number the Stars

Oct. 12-21, 2018

 

Written from a child’s perspective, the play begins when Ella surprises her best friend Annemaire by arriving unannounced to spend the night.  Not long after, Nazi soldiers appear at the door looking for Ella’s family, and Annemarie’s family claim that Ella is their own daughter.  Annemairie realizes that all Jewish Danes are in danger, and their only hope is for their Christian neighbors to escort them to safety in nearby Sweden.   Defying the law of the land, she steps up to help Ela’s family escape…but will they reach Sweden before it is too late.

 

Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Book – Doug Wright

Music – Alan Menken

Lyrics – Howard Ashman, Glenn Slater

Nov. 16 – Dec. 16, 2018

 

Always fascinated by the world above, Ariel’s longing becomes even greater when she rescues Prince Eric from drowning.  Though her father warns her to stay away from humans, she eventually trades her beautiful singing voice to the sea witch Ursula, in return for a pair of human legs.  When the bargain turns out to be more than it appears, Ariel needs the help of her animal friends Flounder, Scuttle, and Sebastian to overcome the witch’s evil plans and make a choice that will let her live happily ever after.

 

Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

Based on Agatha Christie’s book, And Then There Were None

Jan. 11-27, 2019

 

As the story begins, ten strangers arrive on an island where they will meet their fate.  Each one has a secret and shameful past – and each one is marked for murder.  Who’s next?  And whodunit?  It’s impossible to say.  Nevertheless, one by one, each guest meets his or her end in a way that mirrors the lines of the nursery rhyme, “until there were none”

 

Surprise Musical

Feb. 22- Mar. 17, 2019

 

Our licensing agreement prohibits us from revealing the name of this show until later this season.  We look forward to lifting the curtain to reveal the title of this surprise musical.  All we can say is; it’s a musical, it’s big and it’s filled with fun!

 

Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach

Book – Timothy Allen McDonald

Music & Lyrics – Bej Paskek and Justin Paul

Based on Roald Dahl’s book James and the Giant Peach

April 26- May 5, 2019

 

James finds a door in the peach and discovers a crew of fantastic creatures living inside, all transformed, by a potion, to giant size.  When the peach rolls off the tree and into the ocean, the crew must work together to overcome hunger, battle sharks, and escape greedy aunts who are plotting to fumigate the peach and everyone inside.   From the branches of the tree, to the Atlantic Ocean, to the skies above New York city, their daring exploits teach James’ and his new friends to work together and redefine what it means to be a family.

 

Disney’s Newsies

Book – Harvey Fierstein

Music – Alan Menken

Lyrics – Jack Feldman

Based on – Disney film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White

Originally Produced = by Disney Theatrical Productions

Mary 31- June 23, 2019

 

The strike begins when Pulitzer and Hearst raise distribution prices on their papers, forcing the newspaper boys to sell more to earn a living.  Jack the paperboy steps up as leader of the Newsies, rallying underpaid newsboys across the city to stand up to the publishing titans.  A friendly reporter’s interest in the story leads to a budding romance with Jack and publicity for the cause, but will the pressure be enough to make Pulitzer and Hearst bow to what’s right?

 

All Shook Up

Book – Joe DiPietro

Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley

Young@Part Edition Adapted by Marc Tumminelli

Young@Part Edition originally produced at Broadway Workshop in New York City

First workshopped at Hoboken Children’s Theatre, NJ, Chase Leyner, Director.

July 26 – August 4, 2019

 

Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Midsummer Night’s Dream, the story takes place in 1955, when a handsome stranger stops in town to get his motorcycle fixed and catches the eye of the gas station owner’s daughter, Natalie.  When he fails to take interest in her, she disguises herself as “Ed” to get close to him and earn his trust.  A case of mistaken identities and mixed-up couples create a web of comedy and confusion, and it becomes anyone’s guess if Natalie will find her happily-ever-after by the last song.

 

Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland

Playwright – Deborah Lynn Frockt

Based on – Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland

July 27-August 3, 2019

 

The play begins on a lazy summer day, when young Alice follows the White Rabbit down its hole and comes upon a curious world with food and drinks that make her grow or shrink most inconveniently.  Alice encounters a disappearing Cheshire Cat who warns her that no one around her is sane.  She observes a series of puzzling adventures at the Mad Hatters tea party.  She plays a game of hedgehog croquet with the King and Queen of Hearts, and holds a philosophical conversation with a Mock Turtle.  When Alice finds herself on trial, she must draw on the new skills she has learned in this Wonderland, to save her from danger.

Calvin College earns ‘Tree Campus USA®’ distinction

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Photo courtesy of Calvin College

By News & Stories Staff, Calvin College

 

Calvin College is honored with 2017 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. Calvin is one of four Michigan institutions to receive the distinction. (University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, and Western Michigan University were also included.)

 

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for us all.”

 

Tree Campus USA, an Arbor Day Foundation program, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Calvin College achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project. Currently there are 344 campuses across the United States with this recognition. This is Calvin’s sixth consecutive year being named a Tree Campus USA.

 

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

 

The Arbor Day Foundation is a million member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. The organization has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $48 million in campus forest management last year.

 

Reprinted with permission from Calvin College.

Adoptable pets from Humane Society of West Michigan: Becca and Ike

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Meet Becca!

By Brooke Hotchkiss, Humane Society of West Michigan

 

Each week, WKTV features an adoptable furry friend (or few) from various shelters in the Grand Rapids area. This week, we focus on Humane Society of West Michigan, located at 3077 Wilson Dr. NW in Grand Rapids.

 

Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission is to rescue hurt, abused and abandoned animals and find them new, forever homes. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps over 8,000 animals annually and is 100% donor-funded by caring individuals and businesses in the community. Additional programs help reduce pet overpopulation, provide assistance to low-income pet owners, behaviorally assess animals and reunite lost pets with their owners.

 

Becca — Pit Bull Terrier/Mix

Meet Becca! She is a 4 year old Pit Bull Terrier mix. Becca is such a goofy girl who loves to to run around and show off her favorite toys. She would love a household willing to provide her regular exercise or has a fenced in backyard. Becca would make a great running partner! She knows several commands and is eager to learn. Becca has previously lived with a cat successfully. Her energy level should be considered around small children. Becca would do best with male dogs, however should meet any before going home with one. If you’re interested in her, please visit Humane Society of West Michigan.

 

More about Becca:

  • Animal ID: 37594097
  • Breed: Terrier, American Pit Bull/ Mix
  • Age: 4 years
  • Gender: Female
  • Size: Medium
  • Color: Black/White
  • Spayed
Here’s Ike!

Ike — Domestic Short Hair/Mix

Meet Ike! He is a 4-year-old domestic short hair kitty. Ike loves to pose for pictures, receive pets, and give nose kisses. He has lived with cats previously and seems to do well as long there are multiple litter boxes in the home. Ike would love a owner that allows him time and gives him patience to acclimate to his new surroundings. Ike would be a great addition to many homes! If you’re interested in him, please visit Humane Society of West Michigan.

 

More about Ike:

  • Animal ID: 37352065
  • Breed: Domestic Short Hair/Mix
  • Age: 4 years
  • Gender: Male
  • Size: Small
  • Color: Brown/Black
  • Neutered
  • Not declawed

The Humane Society of West Michigan automatically microchips all adoptable animals using 24PetWatch microchips, which include FREE registration into the 24PetWatch pet recovery service. For more information visit www.24petwatch.com or call 1-866-597-2424. This pet is also provided with 30 days of FREE ShelterCare Pet Health Insurance with a valid email address. For more information visit www.sheltercare.com or call 1-866-375-7387 (PETS).

Humane Society of West Michigan is open Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat & Sun 11-4.

On the shelf: ‘A Stronger Kinship’ by Anna-Lisa Cox

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

By Tim Gleisner, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

Every so often I feel compelled to suggest a book solely not only for the skill of the author’s writing ability, but for it’s social importance as well. The book, A Stronger Kinship by Anna-Lisa Cox, is just such a one.

 

A true story set in the town of Covert Michigan, during the latter half of the nineteenth century, it tells the tale of the town’s unique population. Covert is a small town of roughly 1,000 people in Van Buren County just outside of South Haven. It is a typical rural community in Southwest Michigan. People settled the area because the land was plentiful and could provide an income. Agriculture, in various forms, has sustained this community from the very beginning — first lumber, then fruit farming. Families went to church, school, formed businesses, all in all a community within the norm of American life. The quality that set this town apart was that the population of Covert was integrated at a time when America was not.

 

Building on the lives of runaway slaves, freed blacks, and abolitionist New Englanders, the reader encounters a group of people who felt that one was equal regardless of color. This attitude was nurtured while the Midwest was experiencing racism in various forms. Families lived on farms side by side, as well within the town. You learn of the first elected African-American official, of the town’s business leaders who came from both sides of the color line, and from families that were integrated and accepted by the populace as a whole. What is remarkable is that to this day this community has stayed true to the original conviction of the pioneer generation. It conveys the sense that intentional community is not always impossible, and that one’s morals can be lived out in ordinary life.

 

Anna-Lisa Cox is the recipient of numerous awards for her research. She is an active historian, writer, and lecturer on the history of race relations in the nineteenth-century Midwest.

Per residents’ request, Wyoming City Council considers short-term rental ordinance

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Wyoming City Council will consider an ordinance on short-term rentals at its next meeting set for March 19.

 

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

“It’s noisy, it’s loud,” said Steven Christensen of an AirBnB located near his home along Mayflower Drive in Wyoming. “You are trying to sit in the living room, trying to relax and people are coming and going, slamming doors all the time. It’s just loud. I had one time with a wedding … I have to go to work at five and they are out there at three o’clock in the morning hooting and hollering it up.”

 

Christensen and his neighbor Andrew Hanselman attended a Wyoming City Council work session earlier this year to encourage the city to host public hearings on short-term rentals such as AirBnBs, VRBO, and HomeAway, in an effort to create a city ordinance to regulate them.

 

At its March work session, the Wyoming City Council reviewed an ordinance that would prohibit all short term rentals for non-owner occupied homes. The proposed ordinance will be presented at Monday’s regular council meeting, which is at 7 p.m. at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW.

 

“So, if I owned a house, I could rent my room or a room in the house, the basement or something as a short-term rental and that would be completely acceptable,” said City Manager Curtis Holt as he explained the proposed ordinance. “If I own a house and I bought a house just for the idea of an AirBnB that would not be acceptable. If I own a house and let’s say I would be out-of-town for long periods of time and I wanted to hold that house, it would not be acceptable to do short-term rentals with it.”

 

Holt acknowledged that the ordinance would address the one property the city has received two complaints about. In general, the city has not received a lot of complaints about short-term rentals. He said in a recent search, city staff found about six properties listed as short-term rentals. The most the city has had at one time is around 12, Curtis said.

 

“Well, understand this short-term rental issue is far more prevalent in tourist destination type towns…,” Curtis said.

 

The tougher challenge would be enforcement, Curtis said. Mayor Jack Poll said he could see that as if he goes away for the weekend and his children came by to stay, it would be tough to determine if they were renting or just house guests.

 

Still several council members liked the simplicity of the proposed ordinance and it gave something for the city to refer to when a property owner is blatantly obvious in not following the rules.

 

The ordinance could have a short life. At the state level, both the House and the Senate have bills — HB5403 and SB329 respectively — in committee that would prohibit municipalities enacting zoning ordinance bans of short-term rentals. Rep. Steve Johnson said during a January Government Matters, cities would still be able to regulate short-term rentals through such means as noise, advertising, traffic or other conditions. The house bill remains in committee, Johnson said.

 

“There is a battle going with one side on the private property rights of an individual who owns a piece of property versus local control and what control a local municipality can have on it,” State Senator Peter MacGregor said of the proposed Senate bill. In the past couple of months, there has been little movement on either the Senate or House bill.

 

Holt said municipalities have several concerns about the state bills. It is the belief of many community leaders, including those in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, that to avoid inspection requirements, landlords would change their leases to 28 days or less.

 

“The majority of people who own residential properties do a great job,” said Mayor Stephen Kepley during the January Government Matters meeting, “but then you have have five percent who don’t and if they don’t have to do something they aren’t going to do something.”

 

To prevent a “one bad apple” scenario, Kepley said city officials are hoping to prevent that loophole so as to keep the neighborhoods nice. Currently the City of Kentwood does not have any regulations on short-term rentals.

 

AirBnB has opposed outright banning of short-term rentals but does support fair regulations. In an October 2017 Crain’s Detroit Business op-ed piece, a representative for AirBnB said “by taking the nuclear option off the table (the banning of short-term rentals), this law would encourage communities to collaborate with local hosts on commonsense rules…”

 

The most popular Michigan destinations for AirBnB travelers is Detroit followed by Ann Arbor and then Traverse City. Traverse City does regulate short-term rentals like bed and breakfasts. Traverse City’s ordinance requires owners must be present when renters are there, be licensed and cannot be within 1,000 feet of one another.

 

Last summer, AirBnB did strike a deal with the Michigan Treasury to collect use taxes. It is estimated that about $1.5 million would be generated through the tax. The move also will allow the state to track and collect the six percent use tax that applies to nightly rental charges on stays in Michigan hotels for periods of less than a month. However the six percent use tax, currently, does not come back to the municipalities.

Get Down with Down Syndrome at the ‘Rock Your Socks Dance’ March 21

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Photo supplied

By Victoria Hart, Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan

 

Myth: All people with Down syndrome have a severe cognitive disability and cannot be active members of society.

 

Fact: Many people believe this. The misconception that Down syndrome affects all those with the condition identically and that, as a result, these individuals are unable to live independently or lead successful lives could not be further from the truth. At the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan (DSAWM) we work every day to ensure that myth does not overshadow truth. Educating West Michigan about the condition is a critical part of advocacy.

 

So, what is Down syndrome? Down syndrome is a genetic condition in which an individual has three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome. It is the most commonly occurring chromosomal abnormality and occurs in one of approximately every 700 births. Those with Down syndrome often experience cognitive delays and have several physical identifiers including low muscle tone, small stature, and an upward slant to the eyes.

 

While it is true that some people with Down syndrome have severe cognitive delays, for most the effect is usually mild to moderate. Many individuals are enrolled in general education programs, attend college, marry, and have jobs. Just ask our intern Allie! Allie is 25 years old and in addition to working with our organization, has two other jobs, is taking a college course, and spends her weekends skiing.

 

It is important to remember that each person with Down syndrome is unique. When we limit our understanding of the condition, we limit the opportunities for those affected. Quality education programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care, and positive support from family, friends, and the community help people with Down syndrome to develop their full potential and lead fulfilling lives.

 

World Down Syndrome Day is March 21st, in honor of the third copy of the 21st chromosome. On this day, individuals with Down syndrome and advocates across the world raise public awareness and advocate for inclusion with community events and conferences with lawmakers. And don’t be surprised if you see people wearing brightly colored or mismatched socks on World Down Syndrome Day. The #lotsofsocks campaign encourages participants to wear their funkiest socks to get people talking and asking questions about Down syndrome.

 

At DSAWM we can’t think of a better way to celebrate our favorite extra-chromosomed friends on World Down Syndrome Day than by throwing a party! On March 21st we will be hosting a ‘70s themed Rock Your Socks Dance to raise awareness and celebrate our loved ones with Down syndrome. DSAWM staff, members, family, and friends will be boogieing the night away with snacks, crafts, a photo booth, costume contest, and, of course, dancing!

 

Join us at the Masonic Center in downtown Grand Rapids at 6pm for the grooviest get-down in town. Check out the DSAWM Facebook page for more details and to learn more about our organization and the fantastic community of eager and inspiring individuals whom we serve.

 

For more information, please visit the following links.

 

Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan: Dsawm.org

National Down Syndrome Society: Ndss.org

World Down Syndrome Day: Worlddownsyndromeday.org

Understanding Medicare Coverage: Inpatient vs. Observation

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, How-To's, Non-Profits, Senior Living

By Regina Salmi, Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan

 

You don’t feel well. You might go to the emergency room, where after initial triage, you’re taken to a hospital room. You’re in a gown, you’ve got an ID bracelet, nurses and doctors are visiting you, and you are given medication. You are inpatient, right?

 

Maybe not. Under Medicare rules for hospitalization, you can be admitted to a hospital under observation or as an inpatient. While the treatment you’re receiving might be almost identical, no matter your designation, under Medicare rules, it could be the difference between a co-pay or thousands of dollars in medical bills. It is important to understand the difference and know your rights when you are in the hospital.

 

An example, when Steve suffered a fall, resulting in broken ribs and a severe sprain, he spent 4 days in the hospital. Before returning home, he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility for two weeks in order to recover. After Steve returned home, he received an extremely large medical bill in the mail, because Medicare did not pay for his stay at the rehabilitation facility. He was dumbfounded. What he discovered through multiple inquiries was his status at the hospital was observation, not inpatient, prior to going to rehabilitation. Therefore, he was billed for his entire stay at the facility.

 

Bob Callery, MMAP Regional Coordinator explains, “When a person’s status is inpatient during their hospital stay, it is billed through Medicare part A. As long as they were inpatient during their hospital stay for 3 days, if transferred to a rehab to continue recovery, Medicare part A will pay for that stay as well. Observation, on the other hand, is billed through Medicare part B. If a person’s status is ‘observation’ and they are transferred to a facility, Medicare part B will not cover that stay and patients are billed for their time in rehabilitation.”

 

What can we do to avoid getting whacked with a huge medical bill?

 

Callery says, “Get the MOON!” That stands for the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON). As of March 8, 2017, hospitals are required to give patients this form within 24-36 hours of an observation stay. The MOON will let you know whether your status is observation or inpatient and the coinsurance amount you might have to pay. It will also inform you that if you need to go to a skilled nursing facility after your stay in the hospital, your care will not be covered by Medicare if your admission status is observation rather than inpatient.

 

If you are in the hospital, you or your family member need to make sure you receive this form. Your physician’s decision to transfer you to a skilled nursing facility may be the best treatment decision for you, but s/he may have forgotten that you were originally admitted on an observation status rather than inpatient. In order for Medicare A to cover the costs of rehabilitation, you must be in the hospital under inpatient status for at least 3 days prior to being transferred. If your doctor wants you to continue to recover at a facility, your status needs to be changed before the transfer takes place.

 

Medicare, with all of its rules and various parts, can be very confusing and difficult to untangle. Remembering to ‘Get the MOON!’ will help you avoid unnecessary medical bills when you’re in the hospital. In addition, there is MMAP. This is Michigan’s Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program. MMAP’s purpose is to help “educate, counsel and empower” people about their Medicare/Medicaid programs and benefits. MMAP, Inc. works through the Area Agencies on Aging. MMAP can also help you appeal a Medicare bill you believe is incorrect, but more importantly, they can help you understand your coverage to avoid receiving those bills in the first place.

 

If you have questions about your Medicare plan, you can contact MMAP at aaawm.org 800.803.7174 or email aaainfo@aaawm.org. You can also visit www.mmapinc.org to learn more.

Michigan Mission of Mercy dental clinic to provide free dental care June 2-3

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, ,

 

By Michigan Dental Association Foundation

 

The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) and the Michigan Dental Association Foundation are now working to organize an unprecedented statewide dental access program — the Michigan Mission of Mercy clinic, to be held June 2-3, 2018 at Calvin College’s Huizenga Tennis and Track Center, 3201 Burton SE in Grand Rapids. Approximately 2,500 patients are expected to be treated over the course of two days.

 

The clinic will be staffed with hundreds of volunteers from throughout the state of Michigan and neighboring states, including licensed dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. As patients enter the Huizenga Tennis and Track Center, volunteers will register them, take a basic health history, and then direct them to the appropriate treatment area. There are no qualifications or restrictions (except possible health issues) to take advantage of the free dental services.

 

All patients are examined by a licensed dentist to determine their most important need. Depending on the need, services may include cleanings, fillings, tooth removal (extractions), a limited number or root canals and treatment partials to replace front teeth. They are not able to provide caps, crowns, metal-based partial dentures, dentures, implants, bridges, orthodontics or extraction of wisdom teeth. Narcotics will not be dispensed. The patient and the treating dentist will decide the appropriate service that best fits each patient’s circumstances. An individual’s most severe problem (infection and/or pain) will be given first priority.

 

Only one major service is usually performed on each patient. Multiple extractions or fillings can be done at one time; however the patient will not receive both of these services at one time. Our philosophy is to provide services to as many people as possible rather than provide many services to fewer people. If a patient receives treatment on Friday, they can get in line for Saturday, too.

 

Children are welcome. Pediatric dentists will be on-site, especially trained to work with children, who will provide treatment in a gentle and caring manner.

 

Doors open at 6 am and all services at the Michigan Mission of Mercy are provided on a first-come, first-served basis until we have reached our capacity for the day. Our capacity is determined by the number of professional volunteers present and cannot be predicted in advance of the opening of the MOM event. Our goal is to treat as many patients as we can each day.

 

Since 2013, the MDA Foundation’s Michigan Mission of Mercy program has united hundreds of dentists, dental team members, and other volunteers to provide dental care, to disadvantaged individuals. From June 1-2, $3 million in dental health care services will be provided at no charge.

 

Treating patients in need is at the core of all Mission of Mercy events. Individuals interested in attending the 2018 Mission of Mercy event should go here to read through the information available here prior to arriving. Familiarizing yourself with the procedures and requirements will help the volunteers at the 2018 Mission of Mercy provide you with the best care.

 

Michigan Dental Association Foundation Mission of Mercy is entirely volunteer run and donation based. We have received very generous contributions from our MOM sponsors that allow us to bring in the equipment and supplies necessary for the clinic. Everyone working at the clinic is volunteering their time and talents.

 

For patient information and FAQs, go here.

 

They share a dream which will be celebrated at the Cesar E. Chavez March and Community Gathering

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The Cesar E. Chavez Social Justice March starts at 11 a.m. and will be along the Cesar E. Chavez Way (Grandville Avenue).

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

They have a dream: a dream of dignity, respect, and protection for all and for this year’s César E. Chávez Social Justice March and Community Gathering — set for Thursday, March 15 — it will be the DREAMers who will be honored.

 

“Since 2012, we have been working with and encouraging the DREAMers to stand in solidarity,” said CEC Community Gathering Leader Suzanne Hewitt. So this year’s César E. Chávez Social Justice March and Community Gathering will focus on and honor the DREAMers, Hewitt said.

 

Community members, students and business leaders will kick off the day’s activities with the César E. Chávez Social Justice March at 11 a.m. The march will start at the Cook Library Center, 1100 Grandville Ave. SW and head down the César E. Chávez Way (Grandville Avenue) to the Potter House Chapel, 810 Van Raatle Dr. SW.

 

At the Potter House Chapel, there will be a community gathering at around 11:30 a.m.

 

Committee to Honor César E. Chávez Chairperson Lupe Ramos-Montigny

Chávez dedicated his life to workers’ rights, empowerment  of the poor and disenfranchised, civil rights, economic justice, environmental justice and peace. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers union, along with Dolores Huerta. After his death, he became a major historical icon for the Latino community with streets, schools and parks named after him. In the Greater Grand Rapids area, Grandville Avenue was renamed the César E. Chávez Way and there is a Grand Rapids elementary school, César E. Chávez Elementary.

 

César E. Chávez National Holiday was established by Los Angeles volunteers who organized and led the effort in California. The legal holiday bill was signed into law on August 18, 2000. The holiday is celebrated in California on César E. Chávez’s birthday March 31. This marked the first time that a labor leader or Latino has been honored with a public legal holiday.

 

For several years,  Committee to Honor César E. Chávez has hosted events and social justice activities in remembrance of Chávez and the contributions he made to the Latino community. The committee is chaired by Lupe Ramos-Montigny, who currently sits on the State Board of Education.

 

All are welcomed to participate in the annual Cesar E. Chavez Social Justice March.

After the gathering, there will be a 2018 César E. Chávez Unity Luncheon at MAYA Mexican Grill and Bar, located in the Rogers Plaza at 1020 28th St. SW. The luncheon is at 1 p.m. and is a fundraiser for a Grand Valley State University scholarship that honors Ramos-Montigny. Tickets are $50 per person or $500 for a table of 10. For more information or tickets, click here.

 

For more on the 2018 César E. Chávez Social Justice March and Community Gathering, visit the Committee to Honor César E. Chávez’s Facebook page.