By Alan Headbloom, Feel Like You Belong
Frank Wu joins us to discuss growing up Asian American in very-white suburban Detroit. He shares the chilling impact of the 1982 Detroit murder of Vincent Chin on the Asian-American community. Finally, he calls for strengthened coalition building across the diverse Asian populations of the U.S.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
On Jan. 23, 2019, Dr. Jen’s co-worker, Allie got a text from a friend who had come across this bedraggled but beautiful intact boy near Burton and Division. She promptly got him out of harm’s way and dropped him off at Allie’s so she could bring him in to the clinic the next morning for evaluation.
The fabulous, yet filthy 4-1/2-year-old fella (born in the summer of 2014) was suffering from a nasty skin infection on his back, severe yellowing of his fur from being outside for so long, a puncture wound above his left eye that was causing it to swell, and a smaller one in the inner corner of his right eye. Antibiotics, multiple baths and, of course, long-overdue neutering got him on the right track, but if truth be told, he was still quite smelly (male hormones!), so he hung out at the clinic for a few days before Dr. Jen sent him down to our sanctuary. At that time, given his obvious history of tussling, it wasn’t a surprise that he tested FIV-positive
Over the course of the next four weeks, Hoobastank hunkered down and settled in seamlessly, abandoning whatever tomcat tendencies he may have had:
“This gorgeous guy is a super-friendly and sweet big pile of fluff. When he first came to us, he tended to get picked on a little, but the others seem to have been leaving him alone. He’s a bit docile when it comes to too much action around him, but over time he is getting better.
“He loves napping up by the kitchen window, which is ironic because he really doesn’t care for what we serve in the kitchen—he just prefers his dry kibble and Temptations. Due to his slight timidity, he may do best in a home with no other pets where he doesn’t feel threatened. Kids would be perfect for him, or retired couple or person who would have plenty of time to spend one-on-one with him.”
When Dr. Jen retested him at his one-month recheck at the clinic, he came back FIV-negative. It appears that the bite he received caused his body to produce antibodies to the virus as it was introduced into his bloodstream, but thankfully his immune system was strong enough to fight the infection off. This is fantastic news as adopting out a cat from Crash’s historically has been much easier than from Big Sid’s, though we pride ourselves on just how awesome our Sid’s Kids are and promote the heck out of them.
Regardless of his viral status, Hoobastank is a favorite of ours and we have no doubt that finding him his forever home will not be difficult. Just look at that fabulous face this super friendly guy has—and it can be all yours for loving and snuggling!
Want to adopt Hoobastank? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
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.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
During all the Easter service programs last week, Grand Rapids Bishop David Walkowiak took a few moments to look up and reflect on the spires of the Cathedral of St. Andrews.
“I was just so thankful that in the calm, I was able to stop and look up at the magnificence and be able to enjoy the grandeur in the light,” Walkowiak said during a phone interview.
It was a poignant moment in that only 24 hours before the famous spire of Notre Dame had come down during a catastrophic fire on April 15.
“The damage is not as extensive,” Walkowiak said of the Notre Dame fire. The crown of thorns was recovered, the altar appeared to be in relatively in good condition and Notre Dame’s famed bell towers and stained glass windows had little or no damage. Still there is a loss.
“Losing something is a traumatic experience,” Walkowiak said. “You go there everyday to pray. It is something that is a part of you, and it is not just the French, but the world. There is resilience and in the face of tragedy there is hope.”
As an example of that hope, Walkowiak turns back to the Cathedral of St. Andrews which burned to the ground in 1901 after being struck by lightning.
“According to the accounts, they saw the lightning strike and sent a boy up to the roof to see if it was on fire,” Walkowiak said. “He came down and said there was no fire, but it probably was burning under the roof, where he could not see it.”
There was plenty of time for the parishioners to remove many of the items and statutes from the cathedral before it burned, he said.
“When they told founding Bishop Henry Richter of the fire, he asked if the blessed sacraments were safe and when told they were, he said ‘Then God’s will be done,’” Walkowiak said.
The cathedral was rebuilt and in its ceiling are some of the massive wooden beams that were used in the original building.
Notre Dame too will be rebuilt, Walkowiak said, adding he hopes within his lifetime so he may have the chance to see it.
“They say five years, but the architect experts are saying 10 to 15 years,” he said. “We all know that things come up so it could take 20 or longer.”
Walkowiak said the fire also serves as a reminder that there is no lasting home here on earth.
“Anything that is created we eventually will have to realize that we will be separated from it,” Walkowiak said.
But for now, in Grand Rapids, area residents can enjoy the spires of the Cathedral of St. Andrews as those who live and visit France can still marvel at the beauty of Notre Dame, even if that is from a distance.
Byron Center resident Liz Nuyen-Blank, who visited Notre Dame as part of an wedding anniversary trip and took pictures of the building a few days before the fire, stopped by the site as she headed home. She said the roads to Notre Dame were blocked and people could only view the site from a distance. (See below for more pictures from Nuyen-Blank.)
There are a number of ways to donate to the Notre Dame restoration project. Before donating, making sure to check out the organization. There is the Friends of Notre Dame, established by the Arch Bishop of Paris and the Diocese of Paris; the Notre Dame Fire Restoration Fund, hosted by the French Heritage Society; and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in North America, also has a fundraiser.
By Bridie Bereza
School News Network
What do artists like Banksy and Bob Ross have to do with a round of miniature golf?
Not much, unless you are in Kim Urbanski’s art class at Godwin Heights Middle School.
Recently, as part of an art history unit, Urbanski gave her seventh- and eighth-graders the assignment of creating miniature golf holes based on renowned artists and their works.
“Art history is a tough lesson to teach, and so if there’s a way to engage students, they really get into it,” she said. “Having a mini golf course was a way to get them engaged.”
The unit took about two weeks to complete and culminated in an event that invited all classes in the middle school to come to the school’s media center and take a swing (or two or three) at the student-created miniature golf stations.
Par for the (Art) Course
Bolstered by her personal love of miniature golf, Urbanski got the inspiration for the lesson from the Art of Education website. Students spent about a week researching and becoming familiar with a dozen different artists she suggested.
After students divided into groups based on which artist most resonated with them, the fun began. They spent another week conceptualizing and creating a miniature golf hole based on their artist’s work.
“I gave them green paper and lots of cardboard, tape, cups… and this is what we get,” said Urbanski, gesturing to the different putt-putt stations in the media center.
Eighth-graders Greg Patterson, Majer Davenport, and Shahari Hunnicutt were excited to share with people who stopped by to putt the hole they created based on the work of abstract artist Nestor Toro.
“We chose him because we like to throw paint,” said Majer, who said the assignment was unlike anything he’d done before.
A Round of Golf on a Sculpture (in the Round)
Eighth-grader Jonny Paz-Duron and his team used cardboard to craft a miniature golf hole that involved a sculpture of a bridge that Impressionist Claude Monet depicted in one of his paintings. While flowers and water lilies may figure prominently in Monet’s works, Jonny said the architectural elements in Monet’s paintings fit well with creation of a miniature golf hole.
“We had fun making it,” Jonny said.
Nearby was a popular — and technically difficult — putting green created by eighth-graders Dora Velasquez, Evelyn Lopez-Velasquez, Windy Mencho and Gabrielle Cannon. Their hole depicted “The Scream”, an 1893 composition by Norwegian Expressionist Edvard Munch.
Gabrielle Cannon said that the background was difficult to make, as her group wanted to stay true to the colors used in the original painting. The team worked through lunch on the day of the miniature golf event to finish painting their putting green. Their hole had a twist that drew a reaction from everyone who took a swing: in their version of the composition, the male figure depicted in Munch’s painting was created using a picture of Principal Bradley Tarrance.
While the event was a fun one for Urbanski’s students and those who came to play, the golf stations did more than entertain. Each team of students wrote a statement that explained why they chose that particular artist and provided information about the artist’s style, life and works.
Eighth-grader Cody Mimes was part of a team of students who created a miniature golf hole based on the graffiti artists Banksy.
“We were inspired by his art. It’s graffiti, but often it has a deeper meaning to it,” Cody said. “This piece we made is not a copy of one of his works, but it is inspired by his style.”
The miniature golf masterpieces achieved the engagement Urbanski hoped to see.
“They’ve had a lot of fun with this,” she said.
For more stories on local schools, visit the School News Network website.
By Shawn Foucher, Spectrum Health Beat
Photos by Chris Clark
If you’re looking for a sustainable nutrition plan—something that’ll suit you 20 years from now—you should stop looking at high-protein diets.
They’re popular now for dropping pounds quickly but they’re simply not practical beyond the horizon, said Harland Holman, MD, medical director at the Spectrum Health Family Medicine Residency Center.
“You can pick the high-protein diet to lose weight, but what you want to think about is the long-term,” Dr. Holman said. “If you go back to normal dieting, you’d put all that weight right back on. I’d recommend picking a diet you can stick with that’s healthy.”
America is deluged with new diets from year to year—high-fat, low-carb, high-protein—but in the end it seems the basics are best: a plant-based diet with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean meats and seafood.
One diet in particular fits the bill: The Mediterranean.
“You’ll lose weight on it and you can also look at all the positive effects, even much later,” Dr. Holman said.
Ample evidence supports the benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet, including reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Research also suggests that diet plays an outsized role in brain health, while a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive or nuts is associated with improved cognitive function in older adults.
Calling it a Mediterranean “diet,” in fact, may be something of a misnomer.
“It’s not a diet—it’s not something you go on and quit,” said dietitian Jessica Corwin, a community nutrition educator at Spectrum Health Healthier Communities. “It’s a way of thinking about meals differently.”
Remember the old Clinton-era food pyramid, early 1990s or so? That majestic work of art featured bread, rice, cereal and pasta prominently at the bottom, recommending a carbtastic 6 to 11 servings per day.
Some illustrations of the Mediterranean food pyramid, meanwhile, don’t even show food at the bottom. They feature families playing and people interacting.
Seriously.
“The very base of the pyramid is about having fun, living an active lifestyle, and enjoying your food,” Corwin said. “It’s a stark contrast to our culture’s habit of racing through a meal while standing, driving or watching TV.”
As for actual food, the diet places heavy emphasis on leafy greens, vegetables, fruit and whole grains, building out from there.
Said Corwin: “Those following a plant-based Mediterranean Diet plan their meals around the vegetables, rather than the meat. Instead of saying, ‘OK, Monday we’ll have beef with something else,’ the focus switches to, ‘We have a ton of leafy greens we need to use up tonight, so what should we do with that?’”
First add nuts, beans, legumes, seeds, herbs, spices and olive oil, then fish and seafood. Poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt would come once every other day, or perhaps a few times per week, with red meat and desserts just once or twice a month.
But the takeaway is not simply that the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet outpace any high-protein diets.
High-protein diets can increase your health risks. Research has shown that people who regularly consume high-protein foods—red meat, in particular—are effectively increasing their lifetime risk of chronic disease.
“Red meat, animal protein, has been linked to increased cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes,” Dr. Holman said.
A person with kidney problems, meanwhile, may see their condition worsen on a high-protein diet.
“When you have tons of protein, it’s harder for the kidneys to process and clear it,” Dr. Holman said. “Super-high protein levels can affect your kidneys. Most of the time, healthy people are OK, but if you’re predisposed to problems with your kidneys it can cause you to retain fluid.”
A predictable side effect of the diet craze: People are protein-crazy.
“Sometimes people don’t think they’re getting enough protein, but they are,” Dr. Holman said. “Most people overestimate how much protein they need.”
Smart dieting is the first step to positive lifestyle change, but don’t feel pressured to make dramatic changes immediately. Dr. Holman said he’ll first ask his patients to maintain a 24-hour food journal, carefully documenting the foods they typically eat in one day.
“You have to think about lifestyle change,” he said. “They’ll pick one or two things they can change. Sometimes it’s just as simple as cutting out soda. And most people don’t realize how healthy nuts are—they should switch to nuts as one of their snacks.”
The payoffs are real: Studies have shown people who adhere to a Mediterranean diet are about 30 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, Dr. Holman said.
No matter how you say “welcome,” if you are a new American, West Michigan Works! can provide opportunities to find a satisfying career in the United States. Refugee and immigrant navigators can provide specialized assistance to help you start your new life.
Here are a few ways that West Michigan Works! can help.
Specialized services for new Americans include access to appropriate resources such as open-entry ESL (English as a Second Language) class and employment services like building your resume, completing online job applications and connecting you to local employers with job opportunities.
Help meeting work requirements. Anyone authorized to work by the US Department of Homeland Security can receive free employment services. A refugee and immigrant navigator can assist you with paperwork and resources, like English language proficiency, high school diploma, GED or assessment tests, to qualify for certain training and education programs.
Referrals to MITS (Michigan International Talent Solutions). Highly qualified, skilled and educated immigrants and refugees can receive professional employment support from MITS.
Opportunities abound. New Americans do not need to settle on a low-paying job. There are opportunities to learn English and gain the education and training needed to pursue your dream job and earn a sustaining income for your family.
You can make your American dream happen. Many local employers appreciate the hard work and job performance of refugees and immigrants. With a steady income you can establish good credit and realize goals, such as buying a house, within two to five years of arriving in the US.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
By Victoria Mullen, WKTV
Editor’s note: This story first appeared, like magic, on March 29, 2016.
So, there I was, just minding my own business pondering where the gray walls end and the gray skies begin, when Easter happened. I turned my head and when I looked back—poof!—people were all decked out in their Sunday finest, and there were countless clusters of chocolate bunnies and little baskets festooned with eggs and jelly beans snuggled in colorful nesting material.* More chocolate bunnies. Even more of them. Plus those peculiar curiosities called “peeps.”
Easter took me by surprise, I must admit, because I’m never prepared for it. The fault is not mine but that of full moons and equinoxes. I come from a family of Greek Orthodox people, which means “my” Easter quite likely isn’t yours. The date of Greek Orthodox Easter is determined by the Julian calendar, and it can vary wildly from one year to the next. It’s kind of cool except most other people use the Gregorian calendar. When I am asked what I’m doing for Easter, I say that I have no idea. Because I never know when it is.
(Wait. What?) OK, I’ve just been told that my Easter is scheduled for April 28th this year. But will there be any chocolate bunnies left?
A calendar by any other name
The calendar’s purpose is to keep people rooted somewhat in reality. Calendars tell us when we have to work, when to vote, when to go to church, when to celebrate a holiday, when to observe Thanksgiving and other feasts—you name it. Without calendars, surely humankind would be cast adrift, lost forever in contemplation and confusion.
Einstein really nailed it when he said that time is relative, because it seems that no one can agree on using just one method to keep track of days, weeks and months. There are many, many calendars.
Western civilians currently use the Gregorian calendar, which improved upon the Julian calendar (the source of “my” Easter), which had improved upon the Roman calendar. And then there are a multitude of different religious calendars, many of which disagree that we are even living in the year 2019.
Depending on the calendar, today is whatever day you’re reading this (Gregorian) or minus 13 days (Julian). By way of example, pretend that I’m writing this on the 12th of March (three days before the Ides). If we use the Julian calendar, I originally wrote this on the 29th of February 2016, which was a leap year day, all the better to confuse the issue.
Of moons and equinoxes and rotation
Putting together an accurate calendar is not for the faint of heart. It requires meticulous musings, knowledge of the phases of the moon and equinoxes, and the rotation of the earth. It also requires people with nothing better to do than argue over an overabundance of calculations. Key point: In the end, they must all agree. And we know how well that usually works out.
We want to control everything. It’s human nature. But despite this irrational obsession, the universe always has the final say. In the case of calendars, the earth’s rotation refuses to conform to a man-made system of measurement. Just when you think you have it under control, you find that you don’t.
Trying to tame time
Before the dawn of civilization, ancient peoples had no need for wall calendars, Siri, and day planners. By monitoring the phases of the moon and observing weather patterns, these peoples knew when to plant crops, when to migrate, when to harvest crops, etc.
Enter the Romans, who demanded predictability. Mental illness—obsessive-compulsive disorder and narcissistic personality disorder, specifically—influenced the matter, and politics played a huge role as well. Some would argue that politics and mental illness are mutually exclusive, but this matters not because of at least one immutable fact: Credit for the invention of the original Roman calendar goes to Romulus, the first king of Rome, at around 753 BCE (Before Common Era). Scholars think it may have been a lunar calendar, but it was so fraught with flaws that this remains uncertain.
The Roman calendar began the year with a month that could be construed as a call to action—March (Martius). The calendar consisted of 10 months, with six months of 30 days and four months of 31 days. The winter season was not assigned to any month, so the calendar year only lasted 304 days with 61 days unaccounted for in the winter. Basically, winter was ignored.
I am not a fan of winter and would prefer to ignore it, too, but if everybody did that, many, many retail and online stores would go out of business. The economy would take a dive. More people would plunge into poverty.
Besides, it seems a bit extreme. Animals in the wild don’t ignore winter, they hibernate. As they sleep they are blissfully unaware, but winter exists nonetheless. Wild creatures don’t use calendars, and they’ve gotten by just fine over the centuries.
Predictably, the earth’s rotation would not cooperate and, as expected, the 304-day Roman calendar didn’t work for long because it didn’t align with the seasons. King Numa Pompilius—and, seriously, who burdens a kid with such a name?—reformed the calendar around 700 BCE by adding the months of January (Ianuarius) and February (Februarius) to the original 10 months. This increased the year’s length to 354 or 355 days.
The Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar. And the colossal confusion called “Easter.”
Julius Caesar (yes, he of the Ides of March) introduced the Julian calendar in 46 BCE, and it took effect in 45 BCE, shortly after Rome conquered Egypt. With the addition of January and February, some of the months’ names no longer “agreed” with their position in the calendar (September-December). In 44 BCE, the month Quintilis was renamed July in honor of Julius Caesar and in 8 BCE, Sextilis was renamed August in honor of Augustus (the other Caesar).
The Julian calendar proved rather hardy and served humankind in good stead until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII promulgated the Gregorian calendar, because naming a calendar after oneself is irresistible, if not grandiose. Today, the Gregorian calendar is the most widely used civil calendar throughout the world.
Why did all of this happen? Blame it on Easter. Wait. That’s not entirely fair. It’s better to blame it on the pope, who wanted to bring the date for celebrating Easter closer to the time of year in which it was celebrated by the early Church. Because Easter was tied to the spring equinox, the steady drift in its date by the year being slightly too long drove the poor pontiff to distraction. With no treatment available for obsessive-compulsive disorder, he did the next best thing. He changed the calendar.
The (formerly) blissful equinox.
There’s always been quite the brouhaha over the relationship between the equinox and Easter, and it will be easier to understand the conundrum if you think of the equinox as a thing with feelings. Imagine, if you will, the equinox, before humankind existed. Close your eyes. Can you see it? Right over there, smiling in its ignorance, living in peace, perhaps even unaware of its own existence, but in a state of bliss nonetheless.
So, there’s the blissful equinox, just minding its own business when humans appear on the map. These people make up stories about Easter. Eager to harness something—anything—people tie Easter to the spring equinox. This seemingly harmless—and certainly thoughtless—act has far-reaching consequences. No longer does the equinox exist unfettered, and it is not amused.
Yet even this did not satisfy humankind. Over time, the date kept “drifting,” so the Roman Catholic Church promulgated a fateful rule—the full moon preceding Easter would not precede the equinox. Ever. Thanks to this rule, the equinox now remains fixed at March 21 for computational purposes, and the earliest date for Easter is fixed at March 22.
To further compensate for the drift, the Gregorian calendar also removed 10 days. If you lived back in 1582, you went to bed one night and woke up 10 days later. There is much more to all of this, but alas, space in this context—according to my editor—is finite. Go here to learn more.
As expected, the equinox resented—heck, still does—being stuck in place, forever. But the equinox was not the only thing to suffer—people suffered, too. We’re talking about 10 perfectly good days—poof!—just gone.
Things still aren’t perfect.
So, here we are, in the year 2019, accustomed to a 365-day year and a leap year of 366 days. We have scheduled the leap year day, February 29, to occur every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year (the length of time it takes the earth to complete its orbit about the sun), which is about 365¼ days. It sounds so cold and calculated because it is.
The length of the solar year is slightly less than 365¼ days—by about 11 minutes—and this cannot go unpunished, so we “compensate” for this discrepancy. Until the advent of the next calendar—whenever that may be—the leap year is omitted three times every four hundred years. What this means is that a century year cannot be a leap year unless it is divisible by 400. Thus 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 1600 and 2000 were—and 2400 will be—leap years.
Ha! Surely you see the quandary. The universe will not be outfoxed.
*Where does nesting material go to live when Easter is all said and done?
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
When Maria Orr, of Kentwood, got the text from her daughter that Notre Dame was on fire, it brought her right back to July 2, 2012, the day she learned her church, St. Mary Magdalen, had been ravaged by a fire.
“The priest actually called me,” said Orr, who had worked nights and weekends for 10 months to create new stained-glass windows for the church. “Knowing how hard I had worked on the windows, he personally called to let me know the church was on the fire.”
Coincidentally, her daughter had texted that night, too, and she had been driving by St. Mary Magdalen and saw the flames. Orr did not see the message. By the time she got there, all that was left was an attached family life center classroom area
Caledonia resident Nancy Baum said the fire at Notre Dame “hurt her heart” and also brought back a flood of memories of the fire at St. Mary Magdalen as well.
“At the time, I was up north,” said Baum, of Caledonia, who was a secretary for the church at the time. “I got a phone call from Father at around 1:15 in the morning. As we drove back, I kept saying ‘Let it be a little fire. Let it be a little fire.’”
But once Baum got to the site, the church was engulfed in flames.
“The staff was all gathered and all you could do was watch,” she said. “It just hurts your heart. It was just devastating.”
For Ruth Bush, of Kentwood, who is the Coordinator of Christian Services at the church, by the time she got to the site, she could shed little in tears. She had spent the six-hour drive from Cleveland, Georgia, coming to terms with the loss of her church.
“A co-worker had texted me, but I ignored it because my phone was hooked to weather alerts and we were having a very hot summer that year,” Bush said. “I woke up the next morning and got ready to look at my text messages and it said ‘Church on fire,’ and then I just started to shake.”
Bush immediately used her phone to try accessing the internet, but the service was poor. She and her husband began to make the journey home.
“I know he was doing all he could to get us home safely, but there were times when I just wanted to yell at him to drive faster,” Bush said, adding that during the drive all she could do was run a mental checklist of things lost and things possibly saved.
When the Bushes got home, they went to straight to the church, but all that was left was smoldering embers.
“It was like, ‘Wow, what are we going to do?” Bush said.
There had been no injuries, and it was later determined that fireworks started the fire at St. Mary Magdalen. Earlier that year, Michigan had rolled back its restriction on fireworks.
Through insurance and donations totaling $7.7 million, St. Mary Magdalen was rebuilt, but there was never any doubt that would happen.
“At the time (of the St. Mary Magdalen fire), I remember telling media that it is very, very sad, but it was not something that could break us,” said parishioner Lusia Ortiz, of Gaines Township. “The church are the people and a great example of that was the number of people who attended East Kentwood (High School Auditorium) for Sunday mass that weekend.”
And even in the ashes, there is always hope. As with the reports that whispered of the bell towers being saved at Notre Dame, when Orr finally did arrive at St. Mary Magdalen, she could see it.
“I could see the windows and they were blackened, but I could tell right then that some could be saved,” Orr said. A few days later, Orr and the glass company she worked with, Pristine Glass, were able to get inside the former church building.
“There was a window, it was called ‘All Souls,’ and I had used the faces of family members, my mom and dad, and friends to create it,” Orr said. “The window was gone, but there were some blackened pieces on the ground. I brushed one of the pieces clean and staring back up at me was my dad.
“I still get teary-eyed thinking about it.”
By WKTV Staff
“Beer’s intellectual. What a shame so many idiots drink it.”
~ Ray Bradbury
Because it’s never enough. Pike 51 Brewing Co. and Hudsonville Winery will host their annual IPA Daze festival at 3768 Chicago Drive, in Hudsonville, on Saturday, April 20. There will be live music and a special “Stogies and Stouts” event with a cigar rolling demonstration. And 25 wine choices, five wine slushy flavors, traditional hard cider as well as “cyser” and mead. Go here for the story. But, wait. There’s more! Watch out for next weekend when New Holland Brewing Company releases Dragon’s Milk Triple Mash (last released in 2017). The bourbon barrel-aged stout will be available—in Michigan only— starting Saturday, April 27.
Michigan’s U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D) will host a summit at Michigan State University on Earth Day to examine the rising costs to taxpayers from extreme weather and climate change. The event, scheduled for Monday. April 22, at 10:30am, in East Lansing, is open to the public and will be streamed live on Facebook. Read more here.
Nobody likes ’em, so why do they exist? We’ll leave that for you to ponder, but meanwhile, did you know that head lice are common among children ages 3 to 11? It’s true. They can live on all types of hair—straight, curly, dyed or natural. They are most frequently found on girls and are more prevalent among Caucasian children. YIKES. Here are some tips for getting rid of the little buggers. The lice, that is. Go here for the story.
That’s the time it takes for a nit to hatch after a head louse lays an egg. After hatching, the head louse will require 7 to 10 days before becoming a fully grown louse. Besides the head, they can also be found on eyebrows and eyelashes. So, now you know.
By Stephanie Burdick, Tibbits Opera House
Relive and experience the sight and sounds, moods and emotions of the Beatles’ influence on music and pop culture on Saturday, July 20, 2019, when the Beatles tribute band BritBeat brings their multimedia show to Tibbits Opera House, 14 S. Hanchett Street, Coldwater, MI 49036.
BritBeat has spent countless hours to create a show that tells the story of the Beatles that is compelling, accurate, thought-provoking, fun and filled with the passion, moods and emotions of the sixties. Every detail has gone in to the creation of BritBeat – A Multimedia Concert Journey through Beatles Music History. Each era of the Beatles history is recreated on stage covering the early days at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, The Ed Sullivan Show, the Shea Stadium Concert, the psychedelic Sgt. Pepper era, the Magical Mystery Tour and Abbey Road Studios recording sessions with six costume changes. Dedicated to offering a unique and different look into the music and history of the Beatles, BritBeat is more than a tribute band, it is a theatrical event.
Highlights of BritBeat’s touring history include performing with Herman’s Hermits, The Buckinghams, The Rascals, Jefferson Starship, Micky Dolenz, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Beach Boys, The Guess Who, The Grass Roots and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. One of the Beatles actually performed with BritBeat at U.S. Cellular Field for the 40th Anniversary of the Beatles at Comiskey Park. That Beatle would be Pete Best, the drummer for the Beatles before he was replaced by Ringo Starr in 1962.
In 2014 BritBeat was chosen by the State of Indiana to recreate the 1964 concert by the Beatles at the Indianapolis State Fair. In the same building, on the same stage, with the same microphones used by the Beatles, BritBeat performed a 50th Anniversary Concert at the Indianapolis State Fair Coliseum for thousands of fans in attendance, many of whom had attended the 1964 concert there 50 years earlier. It was quite a moment for a band paying tribute to their musical icons.
The concert at Tibbits on July 20 caps off a day full of fun in Coldwater, with the downtown ArtWalk that will feature artists, vintage vendors, hands-on art stations for kids, food trucks, and live entertainment leading up to BritBeat, which begins at 7:30pm.
This event includes a cash bar along with an ‘On Your Feet’ section for audience members who enjoy a livelier viewing experience. Ticket prices range from $20 to $34 (including fees). Tickets go on sale to Tibbits members on April 22, and are available at the Tibbits Admin offices at 93 W. Chicago St in Coldwater or by calling 517-278-6029. Tickets go on sale to the general public on April 29 and may also be purchased by visiting Tibbits.org at that time. This performance will be held at Tibbits Opera House, located at 14 S. Hanchett Street, Coldwater, MI 49036.
By Carrie Shrier, Michigan State University Extension
It is easy to panic if your child gets lice. It’s hard to feel calm about the idea of little bugs crawling around on your child’s (or your) scalp. Lice, while definitely creepy and crawly, are not dangerous and do not spread disease. The only major issue they cause is itching. So, what should a parent do to get rid of lice quickly? Michigan State University Extension offers the following tips to thoroughly eliminate lice.
Lice are tiny, wingless parasites that feed on blood. They are found on your scalp and are most easily seen at the nape of the neck and behind the ears. Head lice are common among children ages 3 to 11. They can live on all types of hair—straight, curly, dyed or natural. They are most frequently found on girls and are more prevalent among Caucasian children. Head lice do not jump, they do not live on pets and poor personal hygiene does not make someone more likely to have them.
Lice are most frequently spread by head to head contact. Less commonly, they can be spread through shared items that touch the head such has hats, combs, brushes or hair accessories. Lice do not live for more than a day off of the human body.
Although they’re very small, lice can be seen with the naked eye. Here is what to look for:
Once your child is diagnosed, it’s time to treat. There are several over-the-counter treatment options. The most commonly used medications contain pyrethins, which are made from the chrysanthemum flower. These should not be used if you or your child are allergic to chrysanthemums, mums or ragweed. Some lice have developed resistance to the commonly used medications. Learn more about medication options from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Keep these tips in mind when using medication to treat for lice:
Continue to check the infected person’s hair every two to three days for two to three weeks. Reapply a second dose of the treatment if the package indicates it is required. This is because many medications only kill the live lice and not the eggs. Failure to retreat can cause a second round of lice to hatch. If you treated correctly and they are not going away, you may have lice that are resistant to the over-the-counter medications. These so-called “super lice” may require prescription medications. Follow up with your doctor for additional advice should over-the-counter treatments fail to be successful.
There is no need to use lice sprays or fumigate your home. Lice do not live long off the human body. Washing bedding, clothing and towels should be sufficient to kill any lice that have fallen off of the head. You can vacuum the infected person’s bed and common seating areas, but intense cleaning and household treatments are not necessary. Animals cannot get lice or spread lice. There is no additional need to treat your pets.
While the discovery of lice on you or your children can be alarming, there is no need to panic. They can typically be treated inexpensively and relatively quickly. With some time and focus, you’ll be back to enjoying a lice-free home again in short order.
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By , Spectrum Health Beat, photos by Taylor Ballek
If you were to meet Judy Pellerito today, you would say she’s full of life.
Newly retired after 31 years of teaching, the Kentwood, Michigan, resident is animated, outgoing and full of dreams.
She’s starting a community choir “open to anyone ages 13 to 103.” She plans to play her ukulele for nursing home residents and bring her pup Mabel along as a therapy dog.
So Pellerito would agree with you: At age 54, her life is good.
“I have energy and hope and optimism and gratitude,” she said on a recent fall morning.
But wind the clock back a year or two and get Pellerito to level with you, and you might hear a different story. A story marked by anxiety, depression, poor sleep and low energy.
Sure, she still got up and went to school every day. The former Northview High School choral director loved teaching, loved her students and her colleagues.
But it became harder and harder to summon the “energy and the stamina and find the joy day after day,” she said.
Finally a good friend saw through her smiling façade and nudged her to get help. To find out what was going on. Tired of saying, “I’m fine, I’m fine,” Pellerito acquiesced.
She made an appointment with a psychologist, who listened as Pellerito talked about life—and heard her describe many of the classic symptoms of menopause.
Pellerito’s counselor referred her to Marjorie Taylor, NP, a member of the Spectrum Health Midlife, Menopause & Sexual Health team who specializes in hormone-related issues.
Recognizing her symptoms as typical of a woman going through midlife hormonal changes, Taylor did a physical exam and a thorough blood workup, paying close attention to Pellerito’s thyroid and other hormone levels.
Not surprisingly, Pellerito’s blood levels showed that “her estrogen was really low,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s message for her patient? There’s help for you. You don’t have to struggle.
Taylor started Pellerito on an antidepressant and hormone therapy tailored to her medical situation. After just five months, Pellerito felt like herself again—or, perhaps, like a more jubilant version of herself.
“I didn’t know that my hormones had bottomed out,” she said. “It’s not like there is a switch that’s flipped—you don’t one day get symptoms. It’s so gradual that it’s almost imperceptible. You don’t realize until you look back.”
In retrospect, Pellerito says her menopause symptoms probably escalated over the course of five to 10 years, gradually stripping away her joy.
“I can look back now and just see an incredible difference,” she said. “And an incredible future.”
Stories like Pellerito’s fuel Taylor’s enthusiasm for her work.
“It’s so fun to do because every visit you see improvement, and you see this person find their spark again,” she said. “When everything gets balanced, whether it’s thyroid, hormones, whatever it is, we see not only their energy come back, but they sleep better. It helps relationships, it helps—just their whole quality of life improves.”
Taylor acknowledges that hormone therapy isn’t right for everyone, but as a strong advocate of its benefits, she gives her patients lots of information and works hard to clear up the misperceptions about its risks.
“People have no clue of the wonderful benefits that hormone therapy can bring,” she said.
Hormone therapy can contribute to women’s longevity, Taylor said, by preventing heart attacks, strokes and osteoporosis, and by helping to alleviate fatigue, depression, anxiety, vaginal issues and bladder issues.
“But the biggest thing is that it brings the spark back to their life and they feel normal again,” she said. “When people start going through perimenopause, they think, ‘Ugh, I’m aging and I’m just never going to feel good again. … And that’s not true.”
Pellerito’s experience is a vivid case in point. She now feels healthy, both physically and emotionally, and is eager to explore new opportunities as a young retiree.
Once a week she returns to her previous school district to work as a vocal coach.
“I’m still pouring love into teenagers and adults in different ways,” she said, “but everything is different now.”
For other women who may be feeling some of the symptoms she experienced, Pellerito says not to wait like she did.
“I would just recommend people walk down the path of getting help sooner,” she said. “Sooner, sooner.”
By Hilarie Carpenter, SMG
Tickets are available at the Van Andel Arena® and DeVos Place® box offices and online at Ticketmaster.com. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets applies to every order.
The Avett Brothers made mainstream waves with their 2009 major label debut, I and Love and You, landing at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 and garnering critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Paste, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Time. In 2012,The Carpenter hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200, while People, USA Today, and American Songwriter lauded the album.
The group appeared on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! twice in a few months’ time. During their second performance, the Brooklyn Philharmonic joined to pay homage to Brooklyn with I and Love and You at Mr. Kimmel’s request. Their eighth studio album, Magpie and the Dandelion, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200. They performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, and accompanied Chris Cornell for a Pearl Jam tribute on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The band supported The Rolling Stones in Raleigh during 2015’s Zip Code Tour.
True Sadness achieved The Avett Brothers’ highest career debut to date and dominated multiple charts. The Rick Rubin-produced album hit #1 on Billboard’s Top Albums Chart, #1 Top Rock Albums Chart, #1 Digital Albums Chart, #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and scored two Grammy nominations.
The Avett Brothers were inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2018, HBO premiered May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers, a documentary co-directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. Days after this debut, True Sadness launched to #3 on the iTunes Album Chart and #1 on the Rock Albums chart. The Avett Brothers debuted a new song, Roses and Sacrifice, live on Late Night with Seth Meyers in October 2018. The song was released in November 2018, with Rolling Stone calling it a “joyous sing-along.”
Also in November 2018, the band headlined the Concert for Hurricane Florence Relief in Greenville, North Carolina, raising $325,000 to help those affected by Hurricane Florence. The Avett Brothers continue to be revered as one of the top folk-rock acts in the country.
By Bruce Rossman, Spectrum Health Beat
What’s not to like about gardening? It beautifies your home, produces great food, plus it’s relaxing, stress reducing and a fun calorie-burner.
But it’s not without its hazards.
“A lot of outdoor diseases can be avoided with clothing and precaution,” said Christina Leonard, MD, an infectious disease specialists with the Spectrum Health Medical Group. “Prevention is key in avoiding problems.”
To protect yourself from diseases caused by mosquitoes and ticks, use insect repellent containing DEET and wear long-sleeved shirts and pants tucked into your socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots since ticks are usually located close to the ground.
It’s also important to be up-to-date on your tetanus/diphtheria vaccination. Tetanus lives in the soil and enters the body through breaks in the skin.
“Gardeners are particularly susceptible to tetanus infections because they dig in the dirt, use sharp tools and handle plants with sharp points,” Dr. Leonard said.
Roundworms and other nematodes inhabit most soil and some are parasitic. The biggest exposure danger is through ingesting eggs on vegetables, so don’t pull carrots and eat them in the garden.
Be sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling food. Wash, peel, or cook all raw vegetables and fruits before eating, particularly those that have been grown in soil fertilized with manure. Wearing footwear and gloves in the garden also helps prevent infection.
Watch those punctures! Sporotrichosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Sporothrix schenckii. The fungus enters the skin through small cuts or punctures from thorns, barbs, pine needles, splinters or wires from contaminated sphagnum moss, moldy hay, other plant materials or soil. It’s also known as rose handler’s disease.
The first signs of sporotrichosis are painless pink, red, or purple bumps usually on the finger, hand, or arm where the fungus entered the body. It’s usually treated with a solution of potassium iodine that is diluted and swallowed, but can cause problems for people with compromised immune systems. Again, wearing gloves will help prevent infection.
By Hilarie Carpenter, SMG
SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall, DeVos Place®, and the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA) Community Inclusion Group (CIG) have announced Eric Roberson with special guest Jordan Hamilton as the third and final event of The Series: Creative Expressions of African-American Culture on Saturday, May 25, 2019, at 8pm in SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, April 19 at 11am. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena® box offices and online at Ticketmaster.com. See Ticketmaster.com for all pricing and availability.
GRAMMY Award-nominee, singer, songwriter, and producer Eric Roberson continues to break boundaries as an independent artist in an industry dominated by major labels, manufactured sounds and mainstream radio. Described as the original pioneer of the independent movement in R&B/soul music, Roberson has achieved major milestones in his career, from being a successful songwriter and producer for notable artist such as Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Dwele, Vivian Green and countless others, as well as headlining sold out tours across the country.
This Rahway, NJ and Howard University alum became the first independent artist to be nominated for a BET Award in 2007 and was the recipient of the “Underground Artist of the Year” BETJ Virtual Award, with Rahsaan Patterson in 2008. In addition, Roberson was nominated in both 2010 and 2011 for a GRAMMY award in the “Best Urban/Alternative Performance” category and continues to blaze trails unheard of as an independent artist. In 2011, his studio album, Mister Nice Guy, debuted in the top 5 on the iTunes R&B/Soul charts and his 10th studio album, The Box, was released in 2014.
Roberson’s latest project is a three-album compilation, Earth, Wind, and Fire. The inspiration behind the album titles definitely pays homage to the iconic group, but Roberson also wanted to use music to voice some of today’s topical issues and in his special way, include personal influences into these albums.
“Earth is self-empowering, Wind is the love and Fire is the message,” says Roberson.
Jordan Hamilton, cellist of Last Gasp Collective and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, merges songwriting, loop pedals, sample machines, and vocals to create a sonic landscape of experimental hip-hop, folk, soul, and classical music. The Western Michigan University graduate aims to find new ways for the cello, a traditional instrument, to relate to a modern audience where it can be found playing the music of Bach, the Beatles, or Chance the Rapper. Filled with an eclectic range of songs, Jordan’s set is sure to capture the heart and mind while reflecting on new horizons.
The Series: Creative Expressions of African-American Culture is a program of the CAA and CIG designed to provide consistent, high-quality programming for members of the West Michigan region who have an interest in the various forms of arts and entertainment inspired by African-American culture.
By Alan Headbloom, Feel Like You Belong
TJ Rogers joins us to talk about Freedom House Detroit and the everyday challenges facing asylum seekers in the United States.
By Brenda Long, Michigan State University Extension
Some bills are more important than others are. To aid your family’s decision-making process, consider the following questions on the University of Illinois Extension Getting Through Tough Financial Times website:
Do you feel you are buried under with debt from child support, back taxes, student loans or credit cards? You have some choices. After creating your spending plan, you need to decide which bills you should pay first and the amount you should pay. You are legally obligated to pay all your bills. However, you can determine the priority you need to pay and how much you should pay on each. You can work with your creditors, as they may be able to reduce some of your payments.
Do you owe child support, back taxes or student loans?
Do you have outstanding balances on credit card accounts? What should you pay first?
According to the National Consumer Law Center book on Guide to Surviving Debt,
Do you make the minimum monthly payments on your credit cards? This will keep accounts current and avoid negative impacts on your credit report. However, paying only the minimum will increase your finance charges and extend the time it takes to pay off the balance. Compare and negotiate interest rates to ensure you pay the lowest rate. Stop using your cards until your situation improves. Contact a nonprofit consumer credit counseling service if you are having difficulty paying your bills. One such service is the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Contact them at 1-800-388-2227.
Michigan State University Extension has released a toolkit 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.
Michigan State University Extension is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency has many MSHDA-certified housing counselors at multiple county offices to assist you by phone or through technology. Find the one staff person nearest you on the MI Money Health website. MSHDA certified Housing counselors may be located online.
To contact an expert in your area, visit the website, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
Other articles in this series:
Which bills should I pay first in a financial crisis
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
Wyoming resident Brenda R. is no stranger to the strays that populate her neighborhood; in fact over the years we have taken in quite a few wayward souls that thankfully fell under her care. She contacted Dr. Jen right after Valentine’s Day 2019 when an emaciated, darling but dirty intact male (born in late summer of 2017) crossed her path. The poor boy had obtained a bite wound to his tail when he tried to hang out with two feisty females that didn’t take kindly to his intrusion on their food bowls.
Part of the reason Crumbs was so skinny and felt as though he was starving was due to the fact he had internal tapeworms, so Dr. Jen treated him for the nasty little buggers, tended to his wound, got him neutered, tested, vaccinated and all spiffed up. A few days later Dr. Jen sent him on down to Crash’s, where he IMMEDIATELY became a volunteer favorite, so she enlisted the help of his new BFF’s to enlighten everyone on just how awesome he is:
“Crumbs is an adorable little guy that quickly became friends with everyone. He tends to hang back when there’s a lot of commotion but is right there underfoot when he knows there’s food involved. He doesn’t mind being picked up and held, he loves playing with laser toys, and enjoys his naps cuddled up next to his friends. He’d do great in any home, especially one with kids.
“Crumbs is a very happy and social boy. He loves being around people and gets along great with all of his buddies at the shelter. The only thing he likes more than being the center of attention is endless bowls of canned food. I can’t think of a home where he wouldn’t do well, he’s just that perfect.”
About three weeks into his stay with us, our beloved buff-and-white boy fell ill with symptoms of Calici virus, a highly contagious respiratory illness that unvaccinated cats are very susceptible to. He developed an acute fever and painful tongue ulcers that caused excessive drooling, but even in the thick of it all he surprised us all by pounding down bowl after bowl of delicious canned food.
Since he was hospitalized at the clinic again (for narcotics to control his discomfort and antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection) Dr. Jen opted to retest him a week earlier than planned, and discovered that the bite wounds he had sustained prior to his arrival had transmitted the FIV virus to him. When it was time to send him back to our facility, he took up residence on the other side of our building, officially becoming a Sid’s Kid.
No worries though, as Crumbs once again made instant furry friends, and even when he was so sick with Calici, he wanted to be in the middle of everything. Although it bummed us all out to learn of his new viral status, we have no doubt that our charming, outgoing little fella is going to get himself adopted, as he hasn’t an ounce of mean coursing through his veins, and he absolutely loves everyone he comes into contact with.
It is no doubt crummy (we couldn’t resist) all that has befallen our buddy here, but in true form he takes whatever comes his way in stride and is absolutely thriving indoors, where he was always meant to be.
Want to adopt Crumbs? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
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.
By WKTV Staff
“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives . . .”
~ Carl Sagan
Because red is just so overrated. Seriously, though, Paint the Town Purple offers an opportunity to check out the artwork of some of the talented and creative students of Wyoming High School. But hurry, because it all goes away this Thursday. Go here for the deets.
On Wednesday, April 17, WKTV will be featuring, via the NASA channel, the launch of the newest Northrup Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft, the S.S. Roger Chaffee, to the International Space Station. For more info, go here.
Get involved! The Kentwood City Commission has approved a resolution to establish an advisory committee that will review and prioritize improvements to Kentwood’s parks, trails and recreational programming to align with the needs of the community. Here’s your chance to do your part! Go here to learn more.
That’s how much an entire NASA suit costs — just ONE suit, mind you — and 70% of that is just for the backpack and control module. And you thought a Birkin bag was expensive.
If supermarket circulars influence your grocery shopping, you could be saving money at the expense of your health.
That’s because studies show the offerings are often far from the healthiest food choices.
Researchers looked at a year’s worth of circulars from a small Midwestern grocery chain to see how the nutritional quality of sale items compared to that of the average American diet, which itself scores low.
They found that sales reflected a tendency to eat too much protein and not enough fruits and vegetables.
While 25 percent of sale items were for protein-based foods, only 8 percent were for vegetables and 7 percent for fruits. Worse still, less than 3 percent were for the most healthful dark green, red and orange vegetables.
So it’s important not to let these circulars dictate your eating habits.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to cost as much as you might think. The difference can be as little as $1.50 more per day. Interestingly, some studies have shown that even people who spend the most money on food don’t automatically select healthier choices.
Regardless of budget, the average family spends the biggest chunk of their food budget—about 35 percent—on items like snacks, treats and frozen dinners. That means shifting just some of your shopping dollars may be enough to boost your diet.
Once you’re at the store, carefully shop the perimeter—that’s where fresh foods are displayed—for items that didn’t make the circular.
Buy seasonally to save money, and choose whole foods—like a chicken you cut up yourself—and fruits and vegetables that you wash and slice since precut ones cost more.
Buy in bulk when it makes sense, if for example, canned beans and whole wheat pasta are on sale.
Make a shopping list in advance to avoid impulse buying, but be flexible so you can take advantage of unannounced sales.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
Kentwood resident Maria Orr said she is grateful that she at least had the opportunity to tour Notre Dame before the fire that brought down its spiral tower destroyed most of it.
Residents were glued to media outlets today as the world watched the catastrophic blaze ravage the beloved Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
“I am glad that I got to see it before this happened,” said Orr, who visited the church with her daughter’s art class from East Kentwood High School. “I got to see the history and the windows before that was all destroyed.”
The artist behind the windows at St. Mary Magdalen Parish, which burned in 2012, Orr understands the pain and loss of the stained-glass windows at Notre Dame. Orr was able to recover four sets of the St. Mary Magdalen windows, which now hang in the new church building.
Notre Dame blaze brings back memories of St. Mary Magdalen Parish fire.
“St. Mary Magdalen at least had me around so when construction started, I was there to help design the windows for the new building,” Orr said. “None of the people who designed the windows for Notre Dame are around anymore to do that.”
Parishioner Luia Ortiz also mourned the loss of the windows. She had visited the church twice and now has a decal of one of the more famous Notre Dame windows on a window in her home.
“I wanted this little replica of the window but they were totally sold out of them when I was there, so I ended up buying a large piece,” Ortiz said, adding that when a friend went a few years later, she was able to get the replica for her.
What moves Ortiz more is the historical loss of the church.
“If they rebuild it, I don’t know if they will ever be able to capture the historical aspect,” she said.
At WKTV, we hope to capture some of the historical context along with the memories of those who visited Notre Dame. We encourage area residents to share their photos and stories about their visit to the iconic church. To share photos, go to our Facebook page or email them to joanne@wktv.org.
By Thomas Wood, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology
The Michigan State University Vegetable Entomology Lab started working on honey bee health in pickling cucumber fields two years ago as part of a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant. This project aimed at improving our understanding of how to balance cucumber production and pest management against pollinator health.
Our research has shown that honey bees are the dominant pollinator of cucumbers in Michigan, and that effective pollination depends on large numbers of bees. Honey bee colonies are robust, but are exposed to many stressors in the cucumber production system. Watch our new video to learn more about this topic.
Thanks to Joy Landis and colleagues from MSU CANR Communications for helping us create this video. Follow us on Twitter @msuvegent!
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
By Hilarie Carpenter, SMG
Country music legend Willie Nelson and 27-time-winning Grammy sensation Alison Krauss are headed to Grand Rapids to play SMG-managed Van Andel Arena on Friday, Aug. 9 at 7:30pm. Get tickets to this exciting live concert starting Friday, April 19 at 11am at the DeVos Place & Van Andel Arena Box Offices and Ticketmaster.com. See Ticketmaster.com for all pricing and availability.
Willie Nelson is one of the most successful country music singer-songwriters in history, releasing 68 studio albums and 10 live albums. In 1973, he signed to Atlantic Records and put out Shotgun Willie, which veered into outlaw country, a stark contrast from the mainstream Nashville sound and clean-cut country artists of the era. 1975’s Red Headed Stranger and 1978’s Stardust followed on Columbia Records, both garnering commercial and critical success.
The ’80s saw the release of No. 1 albums Honeysuckle Rose, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Always on My Mind, and The Promiseland, as well as Nelson joining Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson in the country supergroup The Highwaymen, touring and releasing three studio albums between 1985 and 1995. Nelson continues to release a new album almost every year and delight ticket buyers in live shows to this day.
Alison Krauss is largely responsible for keeping bluegrass music alive and well in the U.S., and she’s got the awards to prove it. The singer-songwriter has received 27 Grammy Awards, making her the most awarded female artist in all of Grammy history — not too shabby for 47 short years. Krauss is a nationwide favorite in concert and has been performing onstage since the early 90s and selling out tours across North America since the early 2000s. She loves taking the stage just as much as recording in the studio, and ticket holders get to hear her soulful, soothing soprano up close, in addition to seeing her expertly play the fiddle, piano and mandolin.
By Virginia Anzengruber, Fountain Street Church
The Jazz in the Sanctuary concert series will conclude its sixth season at Fountain Street Church on Sunday, May 5th. The concerts, curated and hosted by West Michigan jazz mainstay Robin Connell, pair the spontaneous wonder of jazz with the acoustic and architectural beauty of the century-old, neo-Romanesque sanctuary in downtown Grand Rapids. As the church celebrates its 150-year Anniversary in 2019, Connell will welcome fellow Michigan musicians Elgin Vines on bass and Alain Sullivan on saxophone.
Vines has been described as one of the most sought-after jazz bassists in West Michigan. As a student at Norfolk State University, he paid his tuition by gigging along the Virginia Beach strip and was a member of the house trio on the daily Morty Nevins Television Show for three years. After graduating, he went on the road with The New Direction for eight years, and then in 1972 settled in Grand Rapids to play for the Bennie Carew Trio and work as a technologist for Amway. In 2005, the West Michigan Jazz Society named him their Musician of the Year.
Sullivan is a 19-year-old jazz saxophonist, bandleader, composer/arranger, and woodwind instrumentalist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He currently attends the University of Michigan, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry toward pre-medicine, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in jazz studies under the tutelage of its esteemed faculty, including Andrew Bishop, Ellen Rowe, Dennis Wilson, Robert Hurst, and Benny Green. He has performed in a wide variety of musical settings, including jazz settings of all types and several pit orchestras for musicals, doubling on flute and clarinet. He has played frequently throughout Michigan, across the country, and in Germany and Denmark. In 2018, he was presented with a YoungArts award, which is given to just a handful of young artists in multiple disciplines.
Connell herself is a prolific jazz pianist, vocalist, and educator who received the 2017 Musician of the Year award from West Michigan Jazz Society for her widespread collaboration with other artists and her continuing work on the Jazz in the Sanctuary series. Whether solo or in a group, she performs regularly throughout the region.
General admission to Jazz in the Sanctuary is $15 online or at the door. College students may show ID for $5 admission. Tickets and additional information are available at fountainstreet.org/jazz.
Fountain Street Church is an independent house of worship with an open pulpit and a 150-year history of progressive action in the heart of West Michigan.
For more information about Fountain Street Church or the Jazz in the Sanctuary concert series, please contact Conor Bardallis, Events Manager, at cbardallis@fountainstreet.org or 616-459-8386 ext. 221 or Virginia Anzengruber, Content and Communications Manager at vanzengruber@fountainstreet.org.
It’s spring and that means employers are starting to post summer employment opportunities. Now is the time for young adults to prepare for summer employment. Summer work experience provides an excellent opportunity for teens to earn money, gain valuable experience and build confidence.
Teen workforce participation
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, teen participation in the labor force peaked in 1979 at almost 60 percent. It dropped sharply during and after the recession in 2007 and has continued to hover around 34.1 percent.
While some may be quick to chalk it up to teen laziness, the fact is, more teens are attending school during the summer, they’re participating in more activities and they’re competing against a growing number of older workers and underemployed college grads.
Summer opportunities
Teens that are willing and able to work during the summer months are most likely to find positions in businesses that have seasonal surges: movie theaters, amusement parks, hotels, farm labor, construction and landscaping. A quick search on Indeed.com for summer jobs near the Holland/Zeeland area pulls up 350 entry level jobs; a mix of temporary, full-time, part-time and internship opportunities.
Teens may also want to explore volunteer opportunities where they can learn valuable employability skills, such as time management, teamwork and responsibility.
Preparing for a successful job search
Here are three tips to help teens compete for summer employment:
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
By Jessica Corwin, Spectrum Health Beat
We all have those nights when you’re home late from work or when picking up kids from their various activities throws your schedule way back. Your stomach is growling, the kids are hangry, and the temptation is strong to swing by a fast food drive-through for a quick fix.
But, deep inside, you know that’s not the best nutritional solution, and you’ll regret your decision as soon as the soda gurgles at the bottom of that paper cup.
While I generally encourage home-cooked meals, I understand the reality that our busy lives sometimes makes this ideal more difficult to achieve.
So here are some recipe ideas you can throw together in a pinch to deliver a healthful meal on the table in no time.
Simply add a can of no-salt-added black beans to a whole grain tortilla with shredded cheese and a handful of baby spinach, then cook on a heated pan until the cheese is melted. Or, if your kids are food detectives as ours are, mash up white beans and spread in a thin layer on the tortilla before adding toppings. That adds some hidden nutrition.
As time does not allow for much produce prep on these evenings, I opt for frozen stir-fry vegetables and a quick homemade teriyaki sauce of honey and tamari or soy sauce. Serve alongside brown rice (keep some ready to go in the freezer, refrigerator, or opt for a bag of microwavable rice). If you’re lucky, you may even have leftover chicken on hand that you can slice up; if not, quickly squeeze the moisture from firm tofu, dice, and stir-fry away!
I try to keep a well-stocked kitchen with pantry staples for Plan B nights. A few of the staples? Whole grain tortellini, spinach and marinara sauce. When you get home, begin simmering the marinara in a medium saucepan on the stove. In a separate skillet over medium, toss your fresh spinach or slowly heat your frozen spinach. Add the cooked tortellini to the spinach (or keep separated for little ones still learning to enjoy these flavors together) and top with the marinara. If you have any leftover chicken, turkey or beef, you could certainly serve this in or alongside this dish.
These are amazing and perfect finger foods for little ones! You can find the recipe here from the Meal Makeover Moms.
I often make my own and freeze an extra six or so, however you can also stock up on your favorite veggie burger as a quick and easy backup. My favorite recipe can be found here from the Six O’Clock Scramble.
All you need is whole grain bread, eggs, cheese, and if you prefer, fresh spinach leaves and sliced tomatoes. If you want to take things up a notch, add sliced avocado. Serve sunny-side up alongside a dish of fresh fruit for a complete (and completely simple) supper.
Think pizza on a tortilla. In all honesty, we have even made these using whole grain bread or portabella mushrooms. All you need is mozzarella, tomato sauce, and the toppings of your choice.
Another winner is this healthy sloppy Joe recipe made from ground meat (consider lean turkey), whole grain buns, and the veggies of your choice. Done and done.
This meal can be served in a variety of ways. Whether you choose to go with traditional beef or bean tacos in a hard corn tortilla, or you choose to mix things up, the goal is to have a self-serve meal to save a bit of effort on your end. My family loves these fish tacos from Real Mom Nutrition.
By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat
Too many women suffer needlessly from symptoms of hormone changes and menopause.
Women want to age with health and vitality, but often are taken by surprise with midlife body changes. It is unfortunate that not enough women know the facts about hormones and options for healthy aging.
We are fortunate these days because there are so many treatment options available.
There has been significant research to help us understand how to individualize these options for each woman depending on her preferences, medical history, stage of menopause and degree of symptoms.
The foundation of treatment for the symptoms of menopause is a healthy lifestyle. This is defined by the SEEDS, or seven essential elements of daily success.
Following the SEEDS each day includes:
For some women, this is enough to feel good through menopause. Twenty percent of women get through their transition with only minimal symptoms.
For many women, however, a healthy lifestyle is not enough. They feel so in the hole of symptoms that they want some kind of treatment to help them feel better and get back into good habits. This is when we talk about the most effective treatment for hot flashes, night sweats, pain with sex, sleep and mood disturbances and decreased sex drive.
Estrogen medication works quickly and is safe for many women. There are many fear-based untruths out there that keep women from using medication that can help them feel like themselves again.
A recent study of hormone use showed that the risk of blood clots has a higher association with oral estrogen use, not with transdermal—absorbed through the skin—estrogen therapy. And for oral estrogen use, the risk was higher with equine estrogen, also known as premarin, and not with the bioidentical, FDA-approved form of estrogen.
Now, for women who have taken premarin for years and do not want to stop, the risk of associated blood clots is mainly in the first year. Switching is possible, but for those women who choose not to, the advice would be to minimize other risks for blood clots by maintaining a healthy weight, staying hydrated, and taking a baby aspirin when on long car trips or plane rides. And always talk to your doctor about your risk.
Bottom line, be informed, make decisions based on facts, and get advice from doctors and other health care providers who are menopause certified. Every woman is different and what works for her or is safe for her may not apply to another.
True or false? Hormones will make me fat.
False. Menopause is associated with belly fat, hormone medications are not. Studies show that hormone medication may help with sleep and reduce insulin resistance, so if women do the work to stay healthy, hormones can help maintain a healthy weight.
True or false? Estrogen causes breast cancer.
False. In the aforementioned study, women who were on estrogen because they had a hysterectomy had a lower risk of breast cancer. Estrogen does not cause cancer, but if a woman gets breast cancer, we do not give estrogen in the blood (via a patch or pill) because of concerns it could cause a recurrence. We might prescribe vaginal estrogen, but not systemic. The only women in the Women’s Health Initiative study with more breast cancer were older and on synthetic oral progesterone more than seven years. This study helps us understand safe ways to give hormones and which type.
True or false? Prescription medication is not bioidentical.
False. It is biochemically identical to the estrogen the ovary makes before menopause. We prescribe FDA-approved estrogen and progesterone, meaning it is the same every time you place a patch or take a pill. There is no batch-to-batch variability like in the compounded medications. Insurance will cover the FDA-approved medication.
If the below criteria describes you, hormones could be a safe option:
These are only guidelines. If there are any questions regarding risk, your provider will bring in partners from cardiology, diabetes, hematology, and cancer care to help guide decisions.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
A few years ago when Bill Branz was visiting in Colorado, he found an old wooden box with the word “Tanglefoot” printed on the side. The Wyoming Historical Commission chair quickly snapped it up.
Tanglefoot is one of the most well-known flypaper manufacturers, and while some know that the company got its start in Grand Rapids, many may not realize Tanglefoot had a factory operation in Wyoming.
“Back in the early 1900s we had this little factory operation here in Wyoming Township and it was a family of four brothers who worked with their father in the late 1800s in Grand Rapids,” Branz said.
The Thum family ran a drugstore in the late 1800s. Due in part to the horse-drawn carts, flies were a big problem during that time period, with farmers to lawyers visiting the local drugstore to have flypaper, paper covered in a sweet, tacky substance, prepared.
“The two younger brothers discovered with the chemistry that their family played with that they could make this flypaper out of some of the chemicals they were using,” Branz said. The flypaper was a hit and the family patented the product.
“They stated up a factory operation right along the old railroad track line that ran from the Kalamazoo/Allegan area into Grand Rapids,” Branz said. “They made enough money to become what is considered wealthy and moved to California, the Pasadena area, and the youngest brother, William, became the mayor of Pasadena.”
The wooden box is now housed at the Wyoming Historical Room, located in the KDL Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW.
“I thought it was an interesting story and it is just fun to have something like this in our room to show people and bring back a little story involving our local history,” Branz said of the box.
The Wyoming Historical Room is always looking for items related to the history of Wyoming. If you have something you would like to donate or if you are interested in volunteering, call 616-261-3508 or visit the Wyoming Michigan Historical Room on Facebook.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
Holy moly, did it take a long time (and a massive effort) to corral this badly injured boy and convince him (and others) that he needed to be taken in out of harm’s way.
About two years ago, this three-year-old, intact male (born in early 2016) took to wandering around a Wyoming apartment complex, befriending a few of the residents who let him in from time to time. Then in the summer of 2018, he was terribly traumatized, most likely the victim of a nasty cat fight that caused his initial neck wound.
It seems that some of the residents had taken a shine to our boy, but instead of seeking medical care for him, they let nature take its course and went so far as to insist that he needed to stay put as ‘their’ outdoor cat; they would miss him too much if he were gone. Finally, his skin had progressively been damaged over the harsh, horrible winter we had, and he was brought in for long overdue medical attention.
Dr. Jen has smelled a lot of foul things in her career as a veterinarian, but this matted, chronically abscessed and necrotic skin flap was a doozy! Once anesthetized and prepped for surgery, the good doctor gently cut away the nasty, useless chunk of skin that was overlaying a 4-5 cm open wound, with another full-thickness hole present beneath. After flushing and debriding the wound site, Dr. Jen started this kitty on broad-spectrum antibiotics and pain medication, then set about neutering, conducting internal and external parasite control, administering vaccines, bathing (repeatedly to remove layers of grime), and testing.
It was no surprise that Donut tested positive for FIV, a transmissible feline virus acquired from deep puncture/bite wounds, disheartening but not unexpected. By the time he was done being brushed and blow-dried, he looked like a million bucks, albeit one missing a huge section of flesh.
Although his recovery was routine, the next morning Dr. Jen was not greeted by the happy, hungry hunk she left the night before, but a depressed kitty with an elevated respiratory rate who was lying in his feces—and very subdued while she re-bathed him. Dr. Jen was concerned about a reaction to the drugs used to sedate him or, more importantly, an underlying cardiomyopathy, so she ran a specialized test that showed elevated levels of an enzyme we can see in cats with heart disease.
Thankfully, after a course of subcutaneous fluids and the passing of a very large bowel movement laden with roundworms, this guy immediately perked up, his breathing resumed normal, and he was back to filling his face. A few days later, Dr. Jen sent him off to Sid’s with a vial of topical Silvadene cream in tow to be applied to his skin defects twice daily. Although an instant fan of belly rubs, Donut was understandably weary of any sort of human contact involving his head, so there was a bit of a learning curve for everyone involved. However, over the course of the next four weeks, his healing plugged along at a good clip, and although he will sport one heck of a scar, overall he really is none the worse for wear.
The majority of the time Dr. Jen spent with Donut was at the clinic, so she wanted to get a more in depth summary of his personality and observations made by his caretakers for his biography:
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” said one volunteer. “He absolutely loves all the comforts of indoor life. He’s crazy about wet food, treats, and humans. While taking care of his neck wound, he’s been nothing short of a gentleman, just sits and waits patiently for the treats at the end. He really does love people, knows his name already, and is starting to follow us around. He was slow to venture out of his safe place/room, but he knows he’s safe now, and has been strutting around with confidence. He can be a little selfish and push his way through when I’m interacting with him and a few of the other cats, but he’s not aggressive about it; he’s just trying to make upon for lost time.
“Donut has come such a long way since he came in. He has turned into a very sweet boy who absolutely loves his new life of luxury. He can still be pretty reserved and prefers to snuggle up in a cubby, but if you sit and talk to him or offer him a few treats he will come right out for attention. He loves canned food more than anything else and probably will eat until he explodes if you let him! He doesn’t seem to care at all about the other cats, so he could probably live with or without them. He would do great in a quiet home without kids, one where he could be the center of quiet, gentle attention.”
Now that you have read all about this amazing creature, ‘do-nut ya wanna’ take him home and make him your very own?
Want to adopt Donut? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
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.
By Alan Headbloom, Feel Like You Belong
Reyna Orellana Masko shares some of the unspeakable horrors of life, violence, and death in her native El Salvador. A U.S. citizen today, she calls for the national administration to reinstate Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for the 200,000 Salvadorans at risk of being sent back to a land of estrangement and danger. Relatedly, she calls for Ottawa County residents to create a more welcoming community that is able to attract and retain diverse workers who are the global doers of tomorrow.
[Parental Warning: May not be suitable for younger children.]
By Brenda Long, Michigan State University Extension
Do you find yourself making tough choices about which bills to pay in tight months? In Michigan, 14 percent of individuals reported that in 2015, their household spent more than their income (not including the purchase of a new home, car or other big investment), according to the National Financial Capability Study. This same study reported 18 percent of individuals have medical bills that are past due. If you are struggling to make ends meet, you can prioritize based on what might happen and decide which bills are the most important to pay this month. This article contains recommended steps and suggests several possible strategies.
Gather your bill statements and overdue notices, including any letters from creditors. There are three steps you should take, according to Behind on Bills from the Bureau for Consumer Financial Protection.
Next, you can create an action plan to make this month’s most important payments. Use the Personal Monthly Budget spreadsheet or another budgeting tool to list your income and monthly expenses like rent or mortgage, utilities, transportation, education, childcare, cell phone and groceries. How much do you have left to use for debt payments? How balanced are your income and spending?
Now that you see your personal budget numbers, decide on your strategy. Here are five possibilities to consider.
Setting goals and planning to pay your bills on time are best practices to help make your financial hopes and dreams come true. Having a monthly budget shows your sense of control to understand your situation and make your action plan. And you will save money by paying down debt to avoid the interest costs from borrowing on credit. Financial planning takes time, patience, and discipline. Find more information about making money decisions and to learn about educational events in your area at MIMoneyHealth.org.
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
― Silent Movie Star Charlie Chaplin
Both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming have released spring/summer brochures with a host of activities available. There is a league for just about everything from volleyball to baseball along with fitness activities, day trips and more. Curious, well then click here to check out Wyoming’s brochure and for Kentwood’s, visit the story by clicking here.
Tomorrow, the Kent District Library kicks off the series “Oceans, Lakes, and Streams: Protecting Water Globally and Locally,” which focuses on our waterways. Tomorrow’s program, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at the KDL Kentwood Branch, features Dr. David E. Guggenheim, known as “The Ocean Doctor,” discussing the “State of the Oceans.” The program is free. For more, click here.
Let’s be honest, the threat of snow has us all wishing we could head south for warmer weather. Good news! Allegiant now offers non-stop service to Sarasota from Grand Rapids. Bonus: to celebrate the airlines is offering a special airfare rate making it possible for you to head there right now, if you wanted to. For more, click here.
That is the number of parks/trails that the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood have combined. Wyoming maintains 21 which range from the Buck Creek Nature Trail to Lamar Park, home of the Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park. Kentwood has Jaycee Park, famous for its Disc Golf site, and Kelloggs Wood Park, which has a dog park. As the weather warms up, now is the time to enjoy these lovely assets of the cities.
By Erin Albanese
School News Network
Michigan State University senior Gabby Huizenga has tinkered with cells, experimented with environmental toxins and hypothesized complex scientific theories about disease — but she still has time to remember her roots.
The Wyoming High School Class of 2015 graduate visited science classes recently to share the pathway she took from high school to a Ph.D. program, and how other young science lovers can take similar routes in pursuing their goals.
Huizenga said the hours she spent in MSU research labs — not to mention changing her major a few times– has led her to where she is now: enrolled in the Immunology Postgraduate Doctoral Degree program at University of Michigan. She was accepted into several colleges’ programs before choosing U of M. After listening to her story, Wyoming students asked her about college, financial resources, ways to get involved, and courses to take now and in college.
“I really want to get them excited about science and research and share one particular path they can take,” Huizinga said. “One of the things I didn’t realize is that for a Ph.D., instead of you paying them they pay you. I think that is a great opportunity.” (Many universities fully fund doctoral students with tuition covered and a stipend.)
While finishing up her undergraduate degree, Huizinga is involved in research for MSU assistant professor Andrew Olive, in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics. She’s studying how humans and animals interact with invading bacteria or viruses and experimenting with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. The research could eventually lead to a new tuberculosis drug.
“We are trying to figure out why only five percent of people who are affected with the bacteria actually get TB,” she said.
She’s also researched toxic chemicals produced when waste is incinerated. “We’re wondering if we can use bacteria to clean up the chemicals in the soil because they are really cheap to produce and really efficient,” she said.
High School Students, Take Note
Huizinga said taking AP classes and other challenging courses at Wyoming, where she graduated as co-valedictorian, helped prepare her for college. But learning about myriad options once at MSU led her to explore different paths before choosing a double major in microbiology and molecular genomics and genetics.
She will graduate in May and take the direct route to her Ph.D.
“My dream job would be to be a research professor at a large research institution,” Huizinga said.
Huizinga encouraged students to get involved in college life and offerings in order to make the most of their years there. Attending a diverse school like Wyoming led her to get involved in the honors college multicultural program, Mosaic.
“Attending Wyoming gave me a huge appreciation for the world I don’t think a lot of other students had,” she said, noting she “found her people” through Mosaic.
Junior Lio Matias said it’s interesting to hear about options from a recent Wyoming graduate. “It’s helpful hearing how far she’s come,” he said.
Stephanie Rathsack, who teaches AP biology, honors chemistry and chemistry, said a college student’s point of view and knowledge is valuable to high schoolers.
“It’s nice to hear from someone who is closer in age to them, who can answer questions in a small group setting,” Rathsack said.
Added Superintendent Craig Hoekstra, “I think this is a great opportunity for our students to hear from one of our former students about their Wyoming experience, and the importance of making the most of every life experience to achieve what one sets out to accomplish.”
For more local school news, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
By Zsofia Szendrei, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Entomology
The Michigan State University Vegetable Entomology Lab started researching squash pollination two years ago when the USDA Organic Research and Extension Initiative funded a project that focused on all aspects of squash management. One of our goals was to learn about the impact of management practices on a little-known native pollinator that specializes in pollinating winter and summer squash: the squash bee.
The squash bee is a unique insect because it naturally occurs in most squash productions in Michigan and must find squash pollen to feed its young. The female creates nests in the ground and our project focused on finding out how soil disturbance impacts squash bees.
Watch our new 3-minute video on tillage and squash bees to learn more about this topic, and enjoy the animations created by our talented collaborator, Holly Hooper, MSU Entomology graduate student. Thanks to Joy Landis and colleagues from MSU College of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommunications & Marketing for helping us create this video. Follow us on Twitter @msuvegent!
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
U.S. veterans return from duty with knowledge, skills and abilities that employers are looking for in their workforce. Here are some transferrable skills that veterans bring to civilian jobs:
Veterans who need help translating their military skills, qualifications and experience to their job search can visit a West Michigan Works! service center to be connected to a veterans representative.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
