LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 23: Television host and comedian Bill Maher performs at The Pearl concert theater at the Palms Casino Resort on March 23, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Supplied/Photo by David Becker/WireImage)
For more than twenty years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. Now, the TV host, author, comedian, and Emmy-award winning producer brings his wits and commentary to Grand Rapids on Sunday, June 23, at 8 p.m. in SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order. See Ticketmaster.com for all current pricing and availability.
First on “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last fourteen years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 41 Emmy nominations. Maher won his first Emmy in 2014 as executive producer for the HBO series, “VICE.” In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher’s uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, “Religulous,” directed by Larry Charles (“Borat”). The documentary has gone on to become the 8th Highest Grossing Documentary ever.
In addition to his television program – which has featured such visitors as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kerry Washington, Michael Steele, Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Eva Longoria, Drew Barrymore, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gen. Wesley Clark, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Gary Hart and Pat Buchanan. – Maher has written five bestsellers: “True Story,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? Politically Incorrect’s Greatest Hits,” “When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden,” “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer,” and most recently, “The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody But Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass.”
Maher started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1979, and still performs at least fifty dates a year in Las Vegas and in sold out theaters across the country. Four of his ten stand-up specials for HBO – 2014’s “Bill Maher: Live from DC,” 2007’s “The Decider,” 2005’s “I’m Swiss,” as well as the hilarious, “Bill Maher … But I’m Not Wrong,” – have been nominated for Emmy awards.
Maher was born in New York City, raised in River Vale, N.J. and went to Cornell University. He now resides in Los Angeles.
GEM Theatrics presents “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry” Feb. 22-24 at the Lake Effect Fringe Festival. (Supplied)
By Mary Beth Quillin
The snow maybe over, but there is still flurries in the forecast..theater flurries as the Lake Effect Fringe Festival takes center stage this month.
The annual event, which is in its seventh year, celebrates local theater with a host of events taking place at the Dog Story Theatre, 7 Jefferson SE, throughout the month and into early March.
Activities kicked off Monday with the Dog Story Theatre’s popular Comedy Outlet Mondays that will run every Monday, Feb. 11, 18, and 25, throughout the Festival at 7 p.m. Comedy Outlet Mondays (COM) is an experimental comedy hub in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids.
New to the Festival is an improv workshop and Collywobbles Theatre Company from Fennville, Mich., will present Touch the Names for one night only. Also new this year: Industry Sundays! Bring a playbill or a website you can call up on your phone to show you’ve been involved in a West Michigan production over the past year and pay just $10. This offer is available only at Sunday performances and for ticket sales at the door.
Tickets for all events can be purchased in advance on the Dog Story Theater website, www.dogstorytheater.comand are $15/adults and $10/students & seniors.
This year’s full schedule includes:
February 11, 18, 25 & March 4
Dog Story’s popular Comedy Outlet Mondays will continue throughout the Festival at 7:00 pm each Monday night. Comedy Outlet Mondays (COM) is a staple for locals and visitors that takes place at Dog Story Theater in downtown Grand Rapids. The only one of its kind, COM is a weekly comedy variety show that features stand up, sketch, improv, and experimental comedic acts- now with live performances by local Musical Guest Artists! Audiences can look forward to a stage full of talent, special events, and a free improv jam for all skill levels after the show. Now in our fourth year, Comedy Outlet Mondays will be adding even more programming and opportunities for local comedic performers. The show is $6.
Feb. 8 – 10; 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday The Brutal Sea presents The Day the Earth Refused to Die, by Declan Maher Follow a group of college students through the nightmare-proxy “Somnam” service as well as the planning process of their yearly celebration of the planet’s narrow survival. Along for the ride is the chronically-oversharing Priestess of the 1000th Dimension and her mysterious shadow, Agent Condor. A hilarious and frightening romp through dreamscapes and potential realities, this show will both delight and challenge its audience. It contains mature content and may not be suitable for young viewers.
Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company will be presenting “The Seagull” Feb. 14 – 17. (Photo from production of “Caesar.”)
Feb. 14 – 17; 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company presents The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov In a version by Christopher Hampton, based on a literal translation by Vera Liber. The Seagull follows the contentious relationship between famous actress Irina Arkadina and her son, the aspiring playwright Konstantin Treplev. When Arkadina begins a relationship with the writer Boris Trigorin, whom she brings to her family’s summer home, jealousy and resentment break out. With a play-within-a-play, references to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and an exploration of the world as stage, The Seagullhas many connections to Shakespearean theatre. Pigeon Creek’s production will employ many of the companies’ signature staging conditions, such as cross-gendered casting, direct audience contact, and live music and sound effects to bring Chekhov’s classic to life. Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company is Michigan’s only year-round, touring Shakespeare Company.
Feb. 16, Saturday; 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Alistair Watt returns to G.R. from Second City with an Improv Workshop! In this 3 hour workshop we will touch on the idea of going in the scene while taking care of yourself. Ever go into a scene and realize you didn’t bring anything to the table? This will help you practice always being prepared to play.
Feb. 19; 8 p.m.
Collywobbles Theatre Company of Fennvillepresents Touch the Names, by Randal Mylar & Chic Streetman
A staged reading with music, this touching play is based on letters and artifacts left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall from fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and comrades. The title refers to the memorial, in which the names of those who died in Vietnam are etched into a sunken wall of black granite, able to be felt by searching fingertips. Directed by Carole Fletcher-Catherine One Night Only!
GEM Theatrics presents Give ‘Em Hell, Harry, by Samuel Gallu
A one-man show starring Gary E. Mitchell as Harry S. Truman, our 33rd President, directed by Mary Beth Quillin.Written and performed after the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, the play and the Truman are surprisingly timely again as the nation faces yet another scandalous presidency, with an uncertain outcome. The play offers a refreshing view of a man who viewed public service as an honorable undertaking and a noble calling. It premiered at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 1975 and was attended by then President Gerald R. Ford. This production contains strong language.
Feb. 26 & 27; 7 p.m.
The Curious Arrow presents Polarea and the Cloud Weaver, by Stephen Douglas Wright: A reading of a new script, Tuesday, Feb. 26 only.
The suicidal Sun refuses to rise, leaving the burden of carrying “the light” to the Moon. When the exhausted Moon crash lands, it’s left to Polarea to get “the light” back in the sky.
Wednesday, Feb. 27
The Behavior of Wings, by Steven Bogart.
Mr. Bogart’s play Two Men and the Moon was chosen as an audience favorite for our Lucid Festival, so we are presenting a reading of this full length play. An eighteen year old college student drops out of her freshman year of college and shows up at her father’s campsite in the mountains of Mexico where he has been trying to protect the Monarch Butterflies.
The University Wits presentsIt’s Just a Play, by Terrence McNally
It’s opening night of Peter Austin’s new play as he anxiously awaits to see if his show is a hit. With his career on the line, he shares his big First Night with his best friend, a television star, his fledgling producer, his erratic leading lady, his wunderkind director, an infamous drama critic, and a wide-eyed coat check attendant on his first night in Manhattan. It’s alternately raucous, ridiculous and tender — reminding audiences why there’s no business like show business.
The Lake Effect Fringe Festival seeks to highlight performer-focused theater in a non-traditional theater space, creating an intimate performance experience for audiences who can expect different seating configurations and differing levels of interaction with the performers at any given performance.
All performances take place in the black box performance space of the Dog Story Theater, 7 Jefferson SE, Grand Rapids, 49503. Tickets for all events can be purchased in advance on the Dog Story Theater’s website: www.dogstorytheater.com, and are $15/adults and $10/students and seniors. “Industry Sunday
Your dishwasher may get those plates spotless, but it is also probably teeming with bacteria and fungus, a new study suggests.
Microbes—from bacteria to viruses to fungi—are everywhere, including within and on the human body. So it’s no surprise, the researchers said, that a kitchen appliance would be hosting them.
So do people need to worry about getting sick from their dishwashers? No, said Erica Hartmann, an assistant professor at Northwestern University who was not involved with the study.
“The risk is probably in the realm of a shark attack,” she said. That is, most people face little to no risk, but there are select groups who may be at higher risk—in this case, people with conditions that weaken their immune defenses.
Dishwashers are an interesting case when it comes to microbes because they are actually an “extreme” habitat, Hartmann explained.
“People don’t think of them that way. It’s just your dishwasher. But it really is an extreme environment,” said Hartmann, who studies the microbiology of the indoor environment.
Dishwashers create constantly fluctuating conditions—wet to dry, high heat to cooler temperatures, low to high acidity. They also harbor mixtures of detergents and dinner scraps. So, only certain microbes will thrive.
The new study looked at which bacteria and fungi are actually dwelling there, and what factors seem to influence that microbial makeup.
Specifically, the European researchers took samples from the rubber seals of 24 household dishwashers.
Overall, they found, the most common bacteria included Pseudomonas, Escherichia and Acinetobacter—all of which have strains that are “opportunistic pathogens.” That means they are normally harmless, but can cause infections in people with a compromised immune system.
The most common types of fungus were Candida, Cryptococcus and Rhodotorula—which also include opportunistic pathogens.
Nina Gunde-Cimerman, a professor of microbiology at the University of Ljubljana, in Slovenia, worked on the study.
She said dishwashers and other microbe-hosting appliances are “generally safe” for healthy people. It’s “sensitive groups,” she said, who may need to be more cautious.
Gunde-Cimerman said she and her colleagues suspect dishwashers might play a role in fungal infections called mycoses in certain immune-compromised patients. A fungus commonly found in those patients, she said, is known as Exophiala dermatitidis, or black yeast.
And while that fungus is “hardly known in nature,” she said, it’s easy to find in dishwashers.
However, Gunde-Cimerman stressed, that’s speculation. No one has yet proven a connection between dishwasher microbes and mycoses infections.
How do fungus and bacteria get into dishwashers? The “main entry point” for fungi is the tap water that supplies the appliance, Gunde-Cimerman said. But food, people and pets are other potential sources, she added.
As for the bacteria, the source isn’t clear, according to Gunde-Cimerman. “But we speculate that contaminated food is the main entry route,” she said.
It is possible for dishwasher microbes to break free from their home: They can get out via waste water, or through the hot air produced at the end of the dishwasher cycle, Gunde-Cimerman said.
So one way to keep the microbes contained is to avoid opening the dishwasher before it has cooled down, according to Gunde-Cimerman.
“Do not open the dishwasher when it is still hot and humid,” she said, “to prevent the release of aerosols in the kitchen.”
Wiping the rubber seal with a dry cloth at the end of a cycle can also limit microbe buildup, Gunde-Cimerman said.
Hartmann agreed that people who are concerned can wipe down the dishwasher seal.
But she also emphasized the positive aspects of the microbial communities living in all our homes: Scientists have made great discoveries by studying microorganisms.
Hartmann pointed to the example of a bacterial enzyme discovered in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park. It was instrumental in developing a breakthrough technique called polymerase chain reaction, which is now used to study DNA in research and clinical labs everywhere.
“Your kitchen might not be Yellowstone,” Hartmann noted. But, she added, it may host some “pretty amazing” microbes.
So if you are ever presented with the opportunity to have researchers swab your kitchen, Hartmann said, consider it.
The study was published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Two Grand Valley State University writing faculty members will discuss the inner workings of their creativity and craft during the annual Grand Valley Writers Series.
Chris Haven, associate professor of writing, and Gale Thompson, visiting professor, will present a faculty reading on Tuesday Feb. 5, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Mary Idema Pew Library Multi-Purpose Room, located on the Allendale Campus.
Haven teaches courses in intermediate and advanced fiction, beginning creative writing, style and techniques, and composition among other topics. His short fiction and flash fiction have appeared or are forthcoming in Threepenny Review, New Orleans Review, Arts & Letters, Massachusetts Review, Electric Literature, and Kenyon Review Online. His poems can be read in Cincinnati Review, Pleiades, Mid-American Review, and Beloit Poetry Journal, and prose poems from his Terrible Emmanuel series have appeared in Denver Quarterly, Sycamore Review, North America Review, and Seneca Review. He has been teaching writing at Grand Valley since 2002.
GVSU Associate Professor of Writing Chris Haven also will present on Feb. 5. (Supplied)
Thompson is the author of Soldier On (2015) and two chapbooks. Throughout her career, Thompson has received fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center and Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. Her work has appeared in or is scheduled to appear in Gulf Coast, American Poetry Review, Guernica, jubilat, Bennington Review, and Colorado Review. She is also the founding editor of Jellyfish Magazine.
The Grand Valley Writers Series will offer two additional events this winter season:
Poetry Craft Talk and Reading with Janine Joseph and Oliver Baez Bendorf Thursday, March 14 Craft talk: 6:15-7:15 p.m., DeVos Center, room 121E, Pew Grand Rapids Campus Reading: 7:30-8:30 p.m., University Club, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Nonfiction Craft Talk and Reading with Sarah Einstein Monday, April 8 Craft talk: 3-4:15 p.m., Kirkhof Center, room 2270, Allendale Campus Reading: 6-7:30 p.m., Mary Idema Pew Library Multi-Purpose Room, Allendale Campus
For more information, contact Todd Kaneko, series coordinator, at kanekot@gvsu.edu, or visit gvsu.edu/writing.
Set phasers to stun and beam yourself to SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall on Friday, April 5, 2019 at 7:30 PM for an unforgettable night with the one and only WILLIAM SHATNER, live on stage. Audiences will enjoy a screening of the classic film “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” on the big screen, followed by a live conversation with the one and only “Captain James T. Kirk.” A limited number of VIP tickets will be available which include premium seating and a photo opportunity with Mr. Shatner.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m.Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. See Ticketmaster for all current pricing and availability. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order.
Shatner will be sharing fascinating and humorous stories from portraying the original Captain Kirk in the “Star Trek” television series and movies, and from his career spanning more than 50 years as an award-winning actor, producer, director and writer. Fans will also have a chance to ask Mr. Shatner their questions during the audience-led Q&A.
Don’t miss your chance to see a Hollywood legend in this thrill-of-a-lifetime evening. Produced by Mills Entertainment and The Backlot Project.
About William Shatner
William Shatner has cultivated a career spanning over 50 years as an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, and horseman. In 1966, Shatner originated the role of “Captain James T. Kirk” in the television series Star Trek, a show that spawned a feature film franchise where Shatner returned as Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek movies, one of which he directed. He’s won Emmys and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of lawyer “Denny Crane” on both The Practice and Boston Legal. He received four more Emmy nominations as well as other Golden Globe and SAG Award nods.
His love of music inspired him to record the critically acclaimed album Has Been. William Shatner’s book, Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, appeared on the NY Times Bestseller list, and his newest book, Spirit of the Horse: A Celebration in Fact and Fable, was released in May 2017. Shatner continues to act, write, produce and direct while still making time to work with charities and further his passion in equestrian sports. He and his wife, Elizabeth, and three married children live in Los Angeles.
When you think about your life, what comes to mind? Do you reflect on your job, on how your day and week is largely structured around it? Perhaps you think about your family members and how your interactions with them affect your mood. But how often do you think about how you think?
Mindfulness is one way that we can examine how we think about our patterns of thinking. This skill helps us to change how we think. Contrary to some misconceptions, mindfulness is not a religious ritual or a belief system. While some of its origins come from the Eastern cultures, mindfulness has found its way into Western spheres of thought and practice. Some of its techniques even mirror modern day cognitive therapy.
You may ask yourself why mindfulness matters in our 21st century culture. Consider this: According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress can cause a variety of mental and physical health problems, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure, and heart disease1.
While it’s true that we can’t change some of the circumstances in our life, we can change how we think about them. This doesn’t mean we need to be happy about things that upset us in our life, but we can look at such events more objectively and have a calmer, more accepting attitude. Research also shows that mindfulness can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression2.
There are hundreds of books and articles about the origin and techniques of mindfulness, but I will highlight some of the most common techniques and concepts. In short, mindfulness means paying attention to something in the present moment, and refraining from trying to change the situation around us. Remember, mindfulness takes practice and time, and results may not come right away.
Breathing: We all do this, but we often change how we breathe based on how we think and feel. If we are angry or nervous, we tend to breathe quickly into our lungs. If we are tired or falling asleep, we breathe from our diaphragm. To practice mindful breathing, take a slow, deep breath into your diaphragm, hold it for a few seconds, and slowly release it. Repeat this process for a few minutes, and pay attention to this pattern of breathing. Your body will naturally calm itself and put you in a more relaxed state of mind.
Body scanning: We tend to hold stress in different areas of our body, but because our attention is often used for other tasks, it’s easy to overlook cues our body sends us. To practice this technique, sit comfortably in a chair, and close your eyes. Allow your attention to start from the bottom of your feet. Can you focus on the feeling of your socks or the hardness of the ground? Allow your attention to slowly drift up your body. What are you feeling in your ankles? Do your lower legs feel tense? Can you feel the sensation of your upper legs against the chair? You can do this with all areas of your body, from head to toe. The key is to observe sensations in your body without judging them as good or bad. When you first do this, resist the temptation to “fix” the pain you may feel. You may be pleasantly surprised that sometimes, just examining how you feel will allow your bodily sensation to pass.
Five senses: This skill involves paying attention to our sensations based on our five senses. For example, if you are outside on a summer’s day, you can find a comfortable place to observe your surroundings. Listen to each sound you hear: the wind blowing in the trees, the birds singing in the distance, the sound of cars passing by. How does the sun feel on your skin? What smells do you notice? Are you able to pay attention to the colors and shapes in the leaves? If you choose to take a drink of cold water, can you pay attention to its taste? These techniques can be done anywhere, such as the mall or your office. The point is to become comfortable noticing your senses. Doing so can help you appreciate the moment rather than judging it or worrying about other things.
Thought monitoring: From my experience, this is perhaps the most difficult technique to practice and become comfortable with. It involves simply monitoring your thoughts and feelings as they come up, and not attempting to judge or stop them. Your thoughts and feelings will arise, settle, and pass. If you are new to this approach, it can be unsettling to become aware of something you typically don’t notice. But with practice, the approach can improve your awareness and allow you greater freedom from your thoughts. To practice thought monitoring, sit in a comfortable position in a quiet area with your eyes closed. Allow your mind to become still and free of any concerns that you are having. As you relax and allow the darkness and quiet to envelop you, some thoughts and feelings will arise. Notice them without judging or attempting to change them, and allow your mind to return to calmness. If you need a little more grounding to help you return to a state of calmness, you can use mindful breathing. These videos can help you practice this concept.3,4
Mindfulness takes practice, and it’s something that many, including myself, struggle to incorporate into daily life. Like any technique, it takes a commitment to make it a regular skill that we use in our normal daily function. The good news is that you are probably using mindfulness already, and you may not be aware of it. The choice is yours as to how much mindfulness you will incorporate into your life. If you choose to be more mindful in your life, you may be pleasantly surprised at how much peace and calmness you will find.
In 1994, Rwandan native Angelique Mugabekazi’s life was upended when the Hutu majority government ordered the mass slaughter of Tutsis. Only five years old, Mugabekazi fled along with her family, but everywhere they went, conflict followed. The young girl saw people raped and killed in front of her, as well as starvation and disease outbreaks. She lost many family members, including her parents, uncles, and siblings, also neighbors.
“Before the genocide happened, my family was well off,” said Mugabekazi, a graduate of University of Massachusetts School of Law. “My dad was a civil engineer; we came from an upper-middle class country. And then we experienced poverty on a level that we had never seen before.”
Civil war conflict met the family when they reached the Congo. By that time, Mugabekazi’s mother and uncle were gone. The little girl and her family moved on to a refugee camp in Burundi, where they lived from 1994 to 1996.
“When you first come to a refugee camp, you get basic things like a tent and food,” Mugabekazi said. “When you have the means, you can make your own house. As a civil engineer, my dad built a really good mud house out of bricks.”
But her father lost his life in Burundi, and the remainder of the family had to move on when civil war broke out there, too.
“You see a lot of rapes and killings when you are a refugee in another country,” said Mugabekazi. “When you are in a camp, you don’t have laws that protect you.”
Mugabekazi said that the UN tried to protect them, but there were conflicts within the camps, and women and children were the most vulnerable.
“You are seeking shelter to keep yourself alive — shelter like a tent or mud hut. Basic, basic medical attention. It was hard. We starved a lot.”
The next move brought Mugabekazi to Tanzania in 1996 where she and her family stayed until 1998, when their house burned down. Next, she and four siblings made their way to a city in Zambia where they lived the next two years
“Then we had the opportunity to apply to come to U.S.,” she said. “We went through rigorous questioning, blood work, medical exams. It’s not an easy thing to come to this country. They interview family members separately, it’s a very invasive process.”
Mugabekazi and remaining family members settled in Boston, in the less-than-desirable Dorchester neighborhood, where gunshots were heard during the day. Culture shock added insult to injury. She was bullied in school because she looked and smelled different.
“It was not safe for us to keep living [in Dorchester], so we moved to a more Hispanic neighborhood, but it was still not safe. So we moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, where it was more predominately Caucasian but still had a diverse population. For the first time, I had friends who were white. That’s first time I enjoyed my experience in the states.
“It’s hard because I feel like I don’t have a home really. Although I know I’m from Rwanda, I feel that has been ripped from me. And moving from one place to another, even here in America, it just caused more trauma.”
Mugabekazi said that surviving all those tragedies has made her strong.
“Africa is a huge continent, so when I moved from each country, I learned a new culture and language — that was the benefit,” she said. “When I lived in more under-resourced communities, it opened my eyes to the poverty in this country. Before, I had this Disney picture of what America was. People of color don’t have wealth in this country.”
Mugabekazi has lived in Grand Rapids since 2013 and is a Community Health Worker with Health Net of West Michigan. She works with the African community; folks that come from same region she did, single mothers who are trying to navigate this culture, working, taking care of their homes.
“We work with them to connect with resources,” she said. “I get excited about social work and am passionate about injustice to women and children, especially because of my experience. I feel like my calling is international work. I feel there is more of a need there; they lack basic human rights.”
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, a national campaign to increase awareness and celebrate the value of programs that prepare students for the world of work.
What is Career and Technical Education?
CTE programs provide classes that directly prepare students for high-wage, high-demand careers. They are offered through high schools, CTE centers, charter schools, community colleges and four-year universities across Michigan.
CTE has come a long way in the last decade, but there are still outdated perceptions of what it is and isn’t. Today’s CTE programs deliver:
Real options for college and rewarding careers
CTE programs aren’t the shop classes of the past; they prepare students (middle school, high school and post-secondary) for both college and careers. While CTE used to be the collage alternative, it’s now more of a college pathway. Today’s programs provide opportunities for college credit, credentials and meaningful work-based learning experiences.
Fact: CTE students are more likely to have a post-high school plan, including college.1
Real-world skills
CTE provides hands-on learning and the skills and confidence to explore and pursue career options in industries that are in critical need of talent, such as health sciences and information technology. CTE students gain practical, relevant, marketable skills that will make them more employable.
Fact: CTE students and parents are three times more likely than those not involved in CTE to report they are confident in their ability to learn real-world skills as a part of their curriculum. 1
A valuable educational experience
CTE programs provide opportunities for specialized classes, internships and networking with industry experts. Student not only learn technical and academic skills, they learn critical employability skills1. Career and technical education helps students see how what they’re learning applies to the needs of employers.
The high school graduation rate for CTE students is 97 percent, compared to an average of 80 percent statewide. 2
This is the first in a series on career and technical education. Future articles will highlight CTE programs across West Michigan and how they’re helping students prepare for college and career.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
1. The Value and Promise of Career Technical Education: Results from a National Survey of Parents and Students, Advance CTE and the Siemens Foundation, April 2017
2. U.S. Department of Education, Perkins Data Explorer
Many kids love a quick bowl of instant soup or tasty noodles, but these fast foods cause almost 10,000 scald burns in children each year in the United States, a new study estimates.
What’s more, researchers found that two out of every 10 scald burns that send kids to the ER are caused by microwavable instant soup spills.
“We suspect that, in terms of risk, parents may think things coming out of the microwave may be somewhat safer than things coming off the stove,” said study author Dr. Courtney Allen. She is a pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Emory University in Atlanta.
But since so many burns are caused by microwavable instant soup and noodles, “any school-age child consuming these products needs to be adequately supervised,” she said.
Dr. Michael Cooper, director of Staten Island University Hospital’s burn center in New York City, said the study mirrors what he often sees in practice.
“We do see instant soup and noodle burns with kids in this age group,” he said.
The good news is that most of the children were treated in the emergency room and then sent home, Cooper noted. Most didn’t have to stay in the hospital and they would likely heal in two weeks or less.
“These burns are painful, but most appear to be superficial,” he explained.
Cooper said the scenario he often sees is that the parent has heated the prepackaged container of soup and given it to the child. While eating, the child knocks it over and gets burned.
A simple solution might be taking the noodles or soup from the original container and transferring them to a bowl the child is accustomed to using, Cooper suggested. A bowl probably isn’t as tall as some of the instant-food containers.
For the study, the researchers reviewed data from the U.S. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 2006 to 2016. They looked for kids aged 4 to 12 with scald burns caused by microwavable instant soup, instant noodles, cups of soup, or water for making instant soup.
Scald burns associated with instant soups and noodles affected more than 9,500 children each year, the findings showed. The average age of a child with such a burn was 7 years old.
The most commonly burned site was the child’s torso—about 40 percent of burns occurred here.
Allen said the database didn’t specify whether kids had cooked the foods in the microwave themselves, or if parents or another caregiver had done so.
She added that injuries may occur when someone grabs a hot container from the microwave and flinches because it’s so hot, spilling it on themselves.
Allen also noted that instant noodles absorb the liquid during cooking. So if a child drops a container of noodles, the hot food may stick to the body.
Cooper said the study shows a need for more education of parents, grandparents and other caregivers. “People need to be more aware that these burns can happen,” he said.
The study is scheduled for presentation at an American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in Orlando. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Well, at least to Spectrum Theater – which is on hill – to catch the latest production from Actors’ Theatre Grand Rapids The family-friendly musical “The Burnt Part Boys,” runs through Feb. 9. The country- and bluegrass-themed songs will get you humming as you follow this coming-of-age story set in the Appalachians.
The recent weather may not have been optimal for driving, but the weekend should be great to head over to the Michigan International Auto Show which is at DeVos Place all weekend. From classics to the latest vehicles, it should be a show worth a drive-by peek.
Fun fact:
Queen in Space
Queen guitarist Brian May combined his passion for astronomy (he has a doctorate in astrophysics) and his music to write a song of NASA’s New Horizon’s historic flyby of Ultima Thule, the farthest object in the solar system visited by a spacecraft. (New Horizon flew past it on Jan. 1, 2019.) It is exactly the kind of epic you would expect from the man who wrote “We Will Rock You” with soaring guitars and dramatic lyrics. Check out the video below.
When was the last time you had a good cry? It is a natural human reaction to many emotions, beyond sadness. We cry in reaction to stress, frustration, grief and yes, even joy. Scientists have studied the content of our tears and have categorized them into three different types:
Basal — or the protein/antibacterial fluid that gets released when you blink
Reflex — the fluid that gets released in response to irritants like smoke
Emotional — this one in particular contains higher levels of cortisol and adrenaline, both stress hormones
Many people don’t like to cry for a variety of reasons. One is that people believe themselves to be ugly criers. They complain that their faces swell and turn shades of red, along with their eyes. It may seem to take forever to recover from crying also. This is a normal, physical reaction to crying. Additionally, people don’t like to cry because crying often means anger, and in the moment, individuals don’t want to come across as a weak person and not a warrior prince or princess they try to portray. The final reason people don’t like to cry is that it seems like literal flood gates open. Tears are not something that are easily turned on or off.
According to Marleen Becht, Department of Clinical Health Psychology at Tilburg University, Netherlands (2002) women cry more often to men, an average of 3.5 times per month for women as compared to 1.9 times per month for men. Considering our societies cultural norms, men are not encouraged or supported to cry. That is just a crying shame.
A Crying Proneness Scale (Denckla, 2013) helps mental health professionals measure how often people cry and looks at contributing triggers. Frequent crying may be a sign of something serious such as depression or other mental health issues. If a person is experiencing frequent crying and may be showing other signs of depression, they should talk to their doctor.
All humans can benefit from crying. Over the years, studies have shown that crying can help relieve stress and improve your mood. Tears help your eyes fight bacteria and irritants. In addition, tears trigger empathy and compassion in others and softens anger (Trimble 2013).
Have you ever laughed so hard that you cried? That is because the emotional and physical responses are quite similar. We cry in response to intense emotions of sadness, joy and laughter. Surprise, tear content is the same! Cortisol and adrenaline are released which help ease stress.
The Grand Rapids Ballet and Spectrum Health have enjoyed a harmonious relationship for the past five years, with sports medicine professionals and athletic trainers helping dancers achieve ultimate health and conditioning.
“Spectrum sent someone right over,” Houser said. “She really helped me out a lot because I had an important rehearsal that day.”
‘Piece me back together’
Houser said he’s grateful for the quick response, and grateful he could continue his love of “expressing emotion, physically.”
He’s on the mend.
“There was a bunch of stuff out of alignment,” he said. “It sent everything into spasm. It took a couple of weeks to get to a normal place. I think without that quick response, it would have taken much longer to heal.”
Even when there aren’t unexpected injuries, Spectrum Health athletic trainers Emilee Van Hoven and Allie Hoyt visit the ballet twice a week; Heather Pietrzak and Paige Bachelor visit the ballet three times a week. They work with dancers who are recovering from injury.
“It’s a bit reoccurring, so they all help piece me back together,” Houser said.
After six hours a day of dancing—for six, sometimes seven days a week—even the strongest and most fit bodies tire.
“They keep an eye on things that could turn into something major,” Houser said. “My hip hurts a little bit today. My ankle feels a bit jammed. Those little things can become chronic if you can’t be seen quickly. Them being here so frequently is incredibly helpful.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Houser said Fridays are typically the hardest day because the aches and pains compound over the week.
“Even if you’re just getting your calves to relax a little, it helps,” he said.
Depending on the nature of the injury, the sports medicine team will sometimes do soft tissue work, sometimes mobilization.
“Sometimes they’ll give you exercises and tools we can use on our own to maintain certain things, like stretches,” Houser said. “Or they’ll tape us up to help keep things in place.”
Hand in hand
Phillip Adler, manager of the Spectrum Health Medical Group Sports Medicine program, approached the ballet about a partnership in 2011. Dr. Axtman had previously worked with the Atlanta Ballet and other dance groups.
“The expertise he had really made the ballet believe we had the experience to manage this unique area of sports and performing arts medicine,” Adler said. “I was the primary athletic trainer that would go down whenever the ballet needed anything.”
And so began Spectrum Health’s performing arts medicine partnership with the Grand Rapids Ballet.
By the second year of the collaboration, Adler brought on additional sports medicine staff to help in the endeavor. They covered not only rehearsals, but performances.
“I have worked with a lot of high-level athletes and NFL players, but I’ll be honest, ballet dancers are not nice to their bodies,” Adler said. “They have to go on point balanced on one leg, with the hip bent at 90 degrees for 15 or 20 seconds with maybe a partner. They’re working eight or more hours a day.”
Ballet companies typically don’t have injury prevention or strength and conditioning programs like many other professional sports teams do.
“I don’t think the vast majority of people realize what goes into putting on a ballet performance,” Adler said.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Adler said the partnership can help extend dancers’ careers.
“They have such a finite time to be a professional ballet performer,” Adler said. “How can we help them prevent injury or manage injury so that it prolongs their career? Not so long ago a surgery for a ballet dancer was career-ending. We’re making sure if those things come up, how do we maintain careers?”
Ferraro said he has noticed a huge decline in injuries since partnering with Spectrum Health.
“It’s been a huge benefit to us,” the ballet manager said. “The dancers have absolutely loved it.”
The athletic trainers often spot and prevent things before they become serious injuries.
“If somebody starts to feel an issue or something isn’t feeling right, they can let us know and the athletic trainers will come pretty much any day they’re needed,” Ferraro said, noting he’s grateful for the assistance.
“A lot of bigger ballet companies don’t even have this benefit,” he said. “It’s just a phenomenal relationship for us.”
Not many people can say they have performed at the Metropolitan Opera and for Howard Stern on “America’s Got Talent,” but its only a couple of the many accomplishments opera star Sean Panikkar has on his résumé.
“With Forte, (the classical-crossover-operatic pop trio that Panikker is a member of), we have a popular music fan base that discovered us on TV,” Panikkar said. “It is quite different to perform for that base than opera crowds…
“There is some overlap and particularly right after we were on ‘American’s Got Talent,’ a number of Forte fans traveled across the country to see me in various operas. Forth Worth Opera had Forte perform at concerts the day after I sang a performance of Pearl Fishers on the same Bass Hall stage.
That was the perfect confluence of what crossover can do for the classical opera world as the majority of the Forte fans had never seen an opera, but made a week of it and attend both shows.”
Opera Grand Rapids is looking to have the same crossover connection as Forte performed for the Opera Grand Rapids’ 50th Anniversary Gala last May and now Panikkar will perform solo Thursday, Feb. 7, as part of Opera Grand Rapids’ newly launched Opera Unlimited Series.
“Opera Grand Rapids is a mission driven organization , that translates into our creating opportunities to engage all of our citizens through the power of music and opera,” said Oper Grand Rapids Artist Director Maestro James Meena, “By using these universal qualities, Opera Grand Rapids can bring people from diverse backgrounds together for a shared, positive experience.”
Panikkar too, believes it is important for opera companies to foster growth of classical music by doing more outreach and education in the communities.”
“If you ask any opera singer which audiences are the best ones they have performed for, it will always be a final dress rehearsal crowd where the company invited local school students to attend,” Panikkar said. “They are the most enthusiastic and receptive crowd. They experience opera the way it was meant to be experienced and it resonates more with them if the people on stage reflect the community they are in.”
Presentations in the Opera Unlimited Series that have taken place already this season include an appearance by Opera Grand Rapids at the Grand Rapids Hispanic Festival, a Season Kick-Off Party highlighting local talent, and two masterclass presentations by Meena.
Accompanying Panikkar is pianist Rohan De Silva, who was worked with violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman and teaches as MSU. (Photo credit: Chris Beebe)
For the February program, Panikkar is set to perform with Rohan De Silva, who has partnerships with many of the leading violin virtuosos such as Itzhak Perlman and Joshua Bell. The evening will feature a mixture of opera and art songs in the Betty Vandel Opera Center.
“Choosing repertoire for recitals is a bit of an art form,” Panikkar said. “My goal in a recital is always perform things that are interesting to me, the pianist, and the audience. Too often, I have attended recitals that were focused soley on challenging the audience and while there is a value in that, I prefer to have a more balanced approach of styles while also presenting beautiful music.”
Originally from Sri Lanka, Panikkar grew up in Bloomsburg, Penn. He came to Michigan as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan and “I immediately fell in love with Ann Arbor.” He stayed at UofM for his masters and then moved to San Francisco to train as an Alder Fellow for the San Francisco Opera. Panikkar loves midwestern sensibilities and “the fact that we have four seasons,” so when his wife and him were expecting, they moved back to Michigan, living in Ann Arbor.
He looks forward to bringing his passion for music to the Grand Rapids area.
“I genuinely love everything I am performing in the moment and I approach every rehearsal and performance with an attitude of gratitude for the opportunity to sing,” Panikkar said. “It doesn’t matter whether I am singing Mozart, a world premiere, atonal music, or contemporary crossover, I love it all and I find the beauty in it.”
Panikkar, accompanied by Rohan de Silva, performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at the Betty Van Andel Opera Center, 1320 Fulton St. E. Tickets are $25/general and $5/students with ID. For tickets or more information, call 616-451-2741, ext. 3, or visit operagr.org.
Dan Sippel, Executive Director at the West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA), will introduce M. Christine Byron and her husband Thomas R. Wilson when they present the 100-year history West Michigan Tourist Association to the Rockford Area Historical Society Thursday, Feb. 7. The 1 p.m. meeting is at the Rockford Community Cabin on Monroe Street.
The West Michigan Tourist Association was founded in Grand Rapids in 1917. Established as a non-profit organization based on membership, it was the first grass-roots tourist association in the country. At the time, the tourist industry was in its infancy.
The 1951 Carefree Days guide from the West Michigan Tourist Association (supplied)
Although railroad lines, steamship companies, and various hotels and resorts promoted the region they served, there was no concentrated effort to boost the tourism advantages of the state. With strong leadership and the committed members of WMTA, tourism has grown into one of Michigan’s leading industries. Byron & Wilson will feature some of the noteworthy efforts to advertise and promote our state over the last 100 years.
Byron is retired from the Grand Rapids Public Library and together she and her husband have written five books focusing on the history of West Michigan tourism. They have been collecting postcards and Michigan tourism ephemera for more than 30 years.
The public is welcome to this event. In the event that Rockford Public Schools close due to bad weather the Rockford Area Historical Society will not meet.
Families across Michigan are beginning to loose patience with the bitter cold temperatures that are forcing everyone indoors, and creating impatient children everywhere. Looking for activities to keep you and your children occupied as the cold weather drags on? Here are five fun activities, with educational value, to keep your children busy!
1. Make play dough.
Play dough is fun for children of all ages! Break out the rolling pins, cookie cutters and plastic knives, and make a great big batch of play dough. Many recipes can be found online, and extras such as cinnamon, glitter, or powdered drink mixes can be added for a fun sensory experience. Here is one quick and easy recipe that consistently yields good results:
Ingredients: 1 cup of flour 1 cup of water 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar 1/3 cup of salt 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil Food coloring as desired
Instructions: In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Continue stirring as the mixture begins to form lumps. Mixture will eventually come together into a ball. When the ingredients are no longer wet, turn out onto a heat tolerant surface and allow to cool enough to handle. Knead dough for a few minutes. Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc., as needed.
2. Feed the birds.
Lend a helping hand to our feathered friends as the thermometer dips below zero. There are many fun ways to make bird feeders with children. One of the quickest is to spread peanut butter over a pinecone and roll the pinecone in birdseed. Then, simply tie to a string and hang outside. An alternative to peanut butter is suet, which typically sold with bird food. Another option is to cut an orange in half, scoop out the inside and poke three equidistant holes in the orange. Thread string through each of the three holes for hanging and fill with birdseed, cranberries, suet or other treats!
3. Bake bread.
Have you ever made bread with children? It’s a fascinating process for them, with very little expense and work. Watching the dough rise, doubling in size, baking and then taking their own food out of the oven is very rewarding! Simple sandwich bread recipes can be found in most cookbooks or online and require just a few basic ingredients and a few hours of your time.
4. Make ice sun catchers.
This one does require going outside for just a little bit! There are many different ways to go about this project, so be creative! Bundle up and head outside to gather some bits of nature: pinecones, seeds, leaves, rocks, etc. Place nature items into an 8 or 9-inch cake pan and fill with water. You can even add food coloring for an additional dimension, and remember to place a loop of string or ribbon with the ends in the water to create a hanger. Once completed, place the cake pan outside to freeze. After it’s frozen, remove the ice sun catcher from the cake pan and hang on a branch to enjoy!
5. Read a book.
This is not a new activity, of course, but reading belongs on all good lists of things to do inside! Michigan State University Extension experts recommend all children engage in 30 minutes a day of reading or other literacy activities. Take time out from your busy schedules to curl up with your kids and enjoy reading together. You could build a reading fort and snuggle up inside, or enjoy a lazy morning in your pajamas reading together. Choose a chapter book to read out loud; even independent readers enjoy the experience of reading together as a family. A book such as Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder offers children a glimpse into what winter meant for families long ago. Use this to talk with your children about what modern conveniences make winter much easier for us now!
Kids’ Food Basket announced a collaborative partnership with several groups, including two in Wyoming, to provide emergency food assistance to families impacted from the extreme weather.
Wyoming High School and the Godfrey Lee Early Childhood Center, as well as Kids’ Food Basket, were distribution sites on Thursday, Jan. 313, and Friday, Feb. 1. Supplemental food and fresh produce will be distributed for families to take home to provide food assistance to any family in need of additional nutrition. Food items include bananas, pears, apples, carrot packs, pudding and fruit cups, meat sticks, cereal bags, etc.
In addition, The David D. Hunting YMCA will be a providing a full meal to Grand Rapids Public School students and families through their Food Service Program. The downtown locations are on The Rapid bus route so families can access the facility in a safe manner.
“For the kids and families, Kids’ Food Basket serves, snow days prevent access to meals families often count on. The United Way’s 211 line reported, they simply do not have food resources to share with people calling for assistance. We believe in breaking down barriers and increasing access to good nourishing food. In an emergency like this, we want to do everything we possibly can to make sure our community has the nourishment they need,” said Bridget Clark Whitney, Founding CEO of Kids’ Food Basket.
Sheila Gurd moves the Kids’ Food Basket sack suppers after delivery
The organization, best known for its flagship Sack Supper Program, provides a free, well-balanced nutritious evening meal distributed within classrooms at the end of each school day. Kids’ Food Basket serves over 8,000 children who attend schools where 70% or more of the student population receive free or reduced-cost lunch in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland.
“During severe weather events like this one, we all have to pull together to meet the critical needs of our community. We’re glad Kids’ Food Basket reached out and are happy to support their efforts,” said The Rapids CEO Andrew Johnson.
“We are so grateful for these community partners, who understand the tremendous need for families during these extreme conditions. By working together, we are finding ways to break beyond weather and location barriers to get to families in need of food assistance,” Whitney said.
The organization is currently working to identify collaborative partners for safe distribution in Muskegon and Holland and encourages community members to call 211 to learn more about community-based organizations and government agencies providing services to families and individuals in need. For more information, please visit kidsfoodbasket.org.
Location information:
The David D. Hunting YMCA, 475 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Families visiting the downtown YMCA location can enter through the main entrance and follow the signage to the community room to receive your meal.
The Rapid Central Station, 250 Grandville Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Seymour Christian Reformed Church, 840 Alger St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507
Kids’ Food Basket, 2055 Oak Industrial Drive, Suite C, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Kids’ Food Basket is nourishing children to reach their full potential. Through the Sack Supper program, Kids’ Food Basket serves over 8,000 students at 48 schools in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland. More than 250 volunteers each day help prepare, pack and deliver Sack Suppers, a well-rounded evening meal that provides nutrition critical to the development of the brain and body. To learn more, or see how you can make a difference, please visit www.kidsfoodbasket.org.
Winter can sometimes lead to excessive screen time.
Kiddos may think it’s too cold, too snowy, or otherwise too gray to venture outside for play. So they resort to endless hours playing video games, messaging their friends, or binge-watching Spongebob Squarepants episodes.
This can be a bit of a problem.
The National Institute of Health defines screen time as activities done in front of a screen, such as playing video games, watching TV or working on a computer.
Screen time is an activity where you are sitting, using little energy and can be described as sedentary. This means that the activity burns little energy.
Why should we limit screen time?
It’s important to limit sedentary activity. To do this, it’s important to limit screen time.
Children who get too much screen time can have trouble sleeping at night and have a higher risk for anxiety, attention problems or depression. This can cause your child to have trouble paying attention and behaving while they’re at school.
These children are also at a higher risk of gaining too much weight, too quickly, thus leading to obesity.
What are the recommendations?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
today’s children are spending an average of seven hours or more each
day on media, including cell phones, computers, video games, iPods and
tablets.
Children younger than 2 years old should have no screen time. Children older than 2 should have two hours or less. This includes all media combined.
Screen time for learning is still considered sedentary time and should still be monitored and limited.
How can I help my child?
There are many ways to work with your child to reduce screen
time. First, talk to them about why you’re monitoring screen time and
the health benefits of doing other activities.
Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics has made these recommendations:
Remove the TV or computer from your child’s bedroom.
Do not let your child eat while watching TV or using the computer.
Decide which programs to watch ahead of time. Then, turn off the TV when those programs are over.
Suggest other activities, such as family walks, bowling, roller skating or shooting hoops at the local gym.
Be a good role model as a parent. Decrease your own screen time to two hours a day.
Random white out conditions and the coldest day since 1994 have created some icy road conditions for most of West Michigan, which is why area police are encouraging residents to stay home.
While three of the area highways, I-96, US 131, and M-6, were shut down at various times yesterday, the Jan. 9, 2015 150-plus car pile up on I-94 remains one of the largest in the state’s history. That accident took place between Battle Creek and Galesburg. There were explosions as fireworks carried on trucks ignited and fires burned, however; only one person was killed in the 2015 accident.
Area police are not interested in seeing a repeat of the I-94 accident and have encouraged residents to not go out if it is not necessary. In fact, schools to business, including Woodland Mall, were closed Wednesday due to the weather conditions, which according to the National Weather Service will continue through Thursday.
The National Weather Service website states we should expect snow showers with rapid changes to visibility (near zero at times), intense bursts of snow, gusty winds, and snow and ice-covered roads. Temperatures will be dangerously cold, with wind chills tonight through Thursday morning between -20 and -40 below. These low temperatures can cause frostbite in under 10 minutes and hypothermia.
Last night I-96, US 131, and M-6 were closed due to accidents. All had accidents involving more than 20 cars with Kent County Sheriff officers stating drivers were not aware of accidents on the expressways and when they came upon them, were not able to stop.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Department has told drivers if they are out, to slow down, keep a space between you and the car in front of you, and be prepared for whiteout conditions.
Drivers drive with low beam or fog lights on to avoid reflection from snow and ice
If you have to pull over, try to find an exit or a parking lot, do not stop in a traffic lane or along the shoulder
Be patient and avoid changing lanes too often
Slow down
Keep your windows and mirrors clear to maximize visibility.
From the National Weather Service website
It is advised that residents make sure to check business and doctor offices to confirm that they are open before heading out on the roads. Some schools, such as Byron Center and Kentwood Public Schools, already have announced they will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 31. Grand Rapids Public Schools will be closed Thursday, Jan. 31, and Friday, Feb. 1.
Lastly, be prepared for an emergency on the road. Take extra blankets or a sleeping bag, food, water, a flashlight, make sure your phone is fully charged, and that your gas tank is full. Condensation can form in an empty gas tank and in the current cold temperatures that can freeze putting ice in your fuel lines and cause no-start conditions.
Also, here are some snowy street tips from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood.
For many children, a snow day means time outside. Sledding, building snowmen, making forts and enjoying the freshly fallen snow. However, it is important for parents to exercise caution. Low temperatures can lead to dangerous conditions, and snow play can cause injuries. Michigan State University Extension offers the following tips to keep your children safe in the ice and snow.
Keep an eye on the thermometer. Winter winds can drive temperatures dangerously far below zero. Pay attention to both the air temperature and the wind-chill. While there is not a hard and fast rule about what temperature is too low, most Michigan schools use 0 degrees Fahrenheit as the guide for when to curtail outdoor recess and -20 degrees Fahrenheit, actual temperature or wind-chill, will cause most schools to close.
Layer up. To prevent frostbite, dress children in several layers and be sure their head, neck and hands are covered. Dress infants and toddlers in one more layer of clothing than older children and adults.
Check in on children. Tell children to come inside when they are cold and wet. Children will often want to keep playing outside when they really should come in. Keep checking on them during outdoor play and bring them in when you think they’re done, not when they say they are.
Play safely. Winter play is fun, and children should be outside when they can in the snow. However, it’s important to use caution and be aware of dangers. Children should wear helmets when sledding, skiing, snowboarding and ice skating. It is never safe to sled in the street, even when roads are closed. Do not allow children to dig into deep snow banks or to build snow forts due to risk of collapse. Avoid scarves and strings on hooded sweatshirts that can pose a risk of strangulation. Teach children how to play safely, and then have fun!
Use caution around fire. Fire places, wood burning stoves and outdoor fire pits are cozy and warm, but can pose a risk to children. Always keep a screen around an open flame. Never use gasoline to light an indoor fireplace. Do not close your damper when ashes are hot. If you’ve lost power, make sure your alternative heating sources are safe for use indoors and that you have working fire and carbon monoxide detectors. Regularly check and replace batteries in both fire and carbon monoxide detectors.
Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite and hypothermia, while both involving cold temperatures, are different. Frostbite is the localized freezing of extremities, where hypothermia occurs when the body temperature is dangerously low. Frostbitten skin, typically on the fingers, ears, nose and toes, will be pale, gray and can become blistered. If you think your child has frostbite, bring them indoors and put the affected area in warm (not hot) water. Signs of hypothermia include shivering, numbness, a glassy-eyed stare and unconsciousness. If you think your child has hypothermia, call 911 and gently move them to a warm location. See the MSU Extension article, “Protect yourself from hypothermia and frostbite while outside this winter,” to learn more about the difference between frostbite and hypothermia, including first aid tips.
Know when to stay in. While it is great to get children outside to play, there is a time when the risks outweigh the benefits. As the polar vortex plunges deep into Michigan and wind-chills dive to -30 degrees Fahrenheit or more, frostbite can begin to set in in less than 15 minutes. Refer to the National Weather Service Wind-chill Chart for a good idea of how quickly cold weather can become hazardous. The elderly and young children are at greater risk. If you must venture out, take a fully stocked cold weather emergency kit with you that includes winter gear for everyone in the car, blankets for each person in the car, hand warmers, water, non-perishable food, road flares, windshield scraper, flashlights, jumper cables and more. Download a printable check list of what to pack in an emergency kit and how to prepare your car for cold weather.
With some precaution and preparation, winter outdoor play can be a lot of fun and provide much-needed exercise for cooped up children on most snowy days. When the polar vortex arrives and it is too cold for school or outdoor play, check out these tips for indoor activities to do with your children from MSU Extension. Stay safe and have fun!
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).
Pretty as a picture and as quiet as mouse is how Patrice came to us in mid-November of 2018, after having been rescued off of Putnam St. SW in downtown Grand Rapids. Born in late 2016, this stunning but shy tabby and white girl was one of many homeless cats that had been taking advantage of a feral cat feeding station; although she would enjoy meal time on a regular basis, her timid nature kept her tucked away from the humans that tried diligently to live-trap her to get her off of the streets.
Finally, persistence paid off and she was rescued, fixed and sheltered in her rescuer’s home. After a little over two weeks of R and R with a multitude of critters affectionately called ‘The Barnyard’, Patrice was ready to come to see Dr. Jen at the clinic. Initially she tested a very faint FIV+, which was fine as the plan was to eventually house her at our sanctuary. As luck would have it when she came back in a month later for her retest, she had cleared the virus from her system. Although still a bashful beauty, we felt it was time that Patrice head on down to our place for more socialization and schmoozing with our cats and crew.
It took this darling little lady quite a bit of time to settle comfortably in her new surroundings, but the patient, gentle hands of our doting volunteers won her over. As she comes out of her shell more and more, we get to see a sweet side of her that relishes attention; she won’t actively seek it out, but if you approach her while she is napping peacefully in her favorite teepee, she is all about head scratches and pets. In fact, once you start stroking her fur, she can’t get enough and practically begs you not to stop.
Patrice also likes to laze the day away in the comfort of a cozy cubby, where she can observe all of the activity and partake in the more mellow activities as she pleases. She really doesn’t seem to mind the other kitties, but it isn’t necessary she be placed into a home with another cat. We do know that small, rambunctious children would frighten her, so if a family with older, calmer kids falls in love with her, we feel that type of dynamic would better suit her needs. As long as her space is granted and respected and she isn’t forced to become a lap cat (that is going to take time and trust), she and her new family members will get along famously well; she simply needs time to feel safe, secure, accepted and adored for who she is.
More about Patrice:
Medium
Domestic Short Hair
Adult
Female
House-trained
Vaccinations up to date
Spayed
Not declawed
Prefers a home without children
Want to adopt Patrice? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.
In his native Congo, Kyezie Bwanangela found himself running for his life ahead of armed militias. Luckily, the young man found safety and eventual refugee status in the United States. The criminal justice major joins us to talk about corruption, leadership, and what is needed to regain democracy.
“A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.” – Markus Zusah, The Book Thief
We’ve Got You Covered
The Advances might be gone, but the WKTV Journal is still going strong! Above is the latest WKTV Journal newscast anchored by Monica Sparks and Donna Kidner-Smith. Check it out!
Sharing Her Story
Pamela Benjamin set out from her native New Zealand to see the world. A stop in Sydney, Australia and a chance meeting with a young man by the name of Craig, would change the course of her life forever. Pamela’s story is just one of many featured in the WKTV Voices project. To learn how you can share your story, visit wktvvoices.org.
Detroit Tigers Manager Ron Gardenhire and players presented a special jersey to Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)
According to a 2016 The Atlantic article, those are the states that had the most school closings over a period of 10 years, 2006-2016. While author Hayley Glatter admits the study is not scientific and not all the states, such as Michigan, participated. In fact, only 19 states provided Glatter any data. But her story does reveal some interesting facts about school closings and how different districts handle them.
Actors’ Theatre of Grand Rapids is doing something a little different this month — the family-friendly production “The Burnt Part Boys.”
“Actors’ is known for doing awesome, sometimes controversial productions,” said director Jolene Frankey. “So it is kind of fun to be able to do something that is entirely family friendly. It is a wonderful treat for our awesome core patrons along with providing us an opportunity to reach people who wouldn’t normally come to an Actors’ production.”
Opening on Friday, Feb. 1 (due to the weather), “The Burnt Part Boys” takes place in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia and follows the story of two brothers, 14-year-old Pete and his older brother Jake.
A report over the radio announces the plans of the Pickaway Coal Company to reopen a mine where a collapse and fire killed the brothers’ father 10 years earlier. The spot is called “the burnt place.” Jake has been picked to lead the reopening, angering Pete who vows to destroy “the burnt place.” The announcement leads both boys with friends in tow on a journey of self-discovery with the ghost of the miners following their progress.
“The music is so distinctive,” Frankey said as to what drew her to “The Burnt Part Boys.” To be honest, the songs from the show are not familiar and Frankey added that the show’s “obscurity is its charm.”
“The music is really reflective of what is taking place,” Frankey said. “It is an eclectic blend of various music such as folk and pop, all wrapped into musical theater. It has such an unusual feel yet it is so authoritative. It is not a hokey rendition of the backwoods of the Appalachians.”
There are guitars and banjo to chains and lead pipes all used to create the country- and bluegrass-flavored songs written by Chris Miller and lyrics by Nathan Tysen. The songs, according to The New York Times, “are rousing anthems to dangerous excitements of working the mines.”
Items used in a mine, such as ladders, lights, shovels, are used throughout the production, creating the landscape of the Appalachians with the ghosts of the miners serving as the map the boys follow on their quest to “the burnt part.”
“The Burnt Part Boys” opens Friday, Feb. 1, and runs through Feb. 9 at GRCC’s Spectrum Theater, 160 Fountain NE. Show time is 8 p.m Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and 3 p.m Sunday. Tickets are $24 and $28.For more information or to purchase tickets, visit actorstheatregrandrapids.org.
For a growing number of Americans, the final year of life is marked by pain, depression and other distressing symptoms, a study has found.
Experts said the study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, highlights disturbing shortcomings in the U.S. health care system.
Researchers found that between 1998 and 2010, the number of Americans who suffered pain in their last year of life rose from 54 percent to 61 percent.
Meanwhile, the prevalence of depression rose from 45 percent to 57 percent, while other symptoms — such as breathlessness, confusion, severe fatigue and incontinence — either increased or did not improve.
“These findings are troubling,” said senior researcher Dr. Karl Lorenz, of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and the University of California, Los Angeles.
The increase in end-of-life symptoms, Lorenz said, has occurred despite national efforts to improve end-of-life care, dating back to the 1990s.
Those efforts have made a difference. The number of Americans in hospice care doubled between 2000 and 2009, the study noted. Hospice care focuses on easing symptoms and improving quality of life for people with a terminal illness.
But often hospice care isn’t offered until the last few weeks or days of life, Lorenz said.
“It’s often ‘tacked on’ to more-intensive care,” he said.
However, another expert said the findings are not actually about the typical American’s final year of life — because many people with chronic diseases are suffering these symptoms long-term.
“I think the findings are very valid, but the conclusions about what they mean are not,” said Dr. Sean Morrison, who directs the Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City.
“I think you’d see a high prevalence of these symptoms if you looked at older adults’ last two years of life, or last three, or last five,” Morrison said.
The issue, he said, is that more and more Americans are living longer with chronic ills — from heart and lung disease, to painful arthritis, to Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, the health care system has grown increasingly specialized and “organ-specific,” with less focus on primary care.
“We’re doing a very poor job addressing the multiple health conditions so many older Americans have,” Morrison said. “We’re focusing on treating organs, and not on improving people’s quality of life.”
Morrison said the health care system — including medical schools — needs to pay much more attention to palliative care.
Palliative care refers to therapy that focuses on easing physical or psychological symptoms, rather than curing a disease. Hospice care, which is intended for people with a limited time to live, is one form of palliative care.
Other forms, though, can start as soon as a serious medical condition is diagnosed, and given along with treatments aimed at battling the disease. Usually, a team of providers, including nurses, nutritionists and social workers, is involved.
But Morrison said that to many people, including doctors, “palliative” is synonymous with dying. So it’s often not offered, even if it’s locally available.
“Other research shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans do not have access to high-quality palliative care,” Morrison said.
The current findings are based on a periodic health survey of older Americans. Between 1998 and 2010, slightly more than 7,200 study participants died, and their family members were asked about symptoms their loved one had suffered in the last year of life.
Over time, problems like pain, depression, periodic confusion and incontinence grew more common. Other symptoms, such as fatigue and severe weight loss, held fairly stable.
Lorenz said part of the increase could be due to awareness. More doctors may be asking family members about those symptoms — which would be a good thing, he said.
But the fact that pain and other distressing symptoms are so common is disturbing, he said.
Morrison agreed. “This really is an indictment of the health care system,” he said. “And the public should be outraged.”
He and Lorenz suggested that older adults ask their doctors about any palliative services available for their symptoms — at any point in the course of a disease.
Medicare covers hospice care, and many Medicare Advantage plans pay for other palliative services, Morrison noted.
But relatively few research dollars, he added, go into palliative care. “We invest so much in finding disease cures,” Morrison said. “We should also be investing in making life better for the people living with these diseases right now.”
By Laura Nawrot, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch
Carolyn Parkhurst takes us behind the scenes in the filming of reality television show “Lost and Found” in her book of the same title. The object of the show is to successfully complete a worldwide scavenger hunt in a two-person team to win a million-dollar prize. I was skeptical about the plot since I am not a fan of reality television and didn’t think it would work well as the setting of a book, but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I identified completely with the members of the various teams as they struggled with personal issues that arose as the competition’s heat increased. Parkhurst also raises several questions in this story that force the reader to do some self-reflection without taking away from the story itself, which I think helps the reader feel more involved.
Parkhurst tells her story from multiple perspectives by writing in the voices of the various characters. The drama produced by several points of view heightened the tension. If you’re in the market for a different kind of plot, you may want to consider Lost and Found.
By Kristen Corrado, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch
Stephen King is a divisive author — you either love him or hate him — but there aren’t many people who fall in the middle. I think that to really appreciate King’s work, you need to look past his reputation to see the themes in his writing: friendship, loyalty, steadfastness, a sense of fun. In many of his books, he spins modern day morality tales, only in his version, instead of wearing a scarlet A on your chest, something a little more sinister may happen to you. The great thing about King is that he never takes himself too seriously and in between the chaos and horror he creates, he will often throw in a laugh out loud moment.
In his latest work, Cell, King lets us in early on what is wrong with society today: we spend too much time talking on cell phones and not enough time talking to each other face to face. And what happens to people who spend too much time on their cells? The pulse, a frequency transmitted through their phone, fries their brains and they turn into zombie-like creatures who want to kill all the remaining unaffected people or “normies.”
The story follows down-on-his-luck illustrator Clayton Riddell, who after the pulse bands together with other normies to get back to his Maine hometown to find his estranged wife and son. As the very fabric of civilization falls down around him, Clayton and his travel partners struggle to maintain their humanity and hope. Their journey from Boston to Maine is not only a physical journey, but a mental one as well. They start out in denial of what has happened to their world but by the end of their journey they have come to the understanding that the world in which they now live is a very different place.
This is a classic King novel — fast moving, gripping and graphic. He writes relatable characters in realistic scenes. (Who would expect the apocalypse to happen as you were buying an ice cream cone? Who wouldn’t try and call a loved one in an emergency?) In the end his message is clear — bad things can happen when we start to lose touch with our humanity. And maybe cell phones aren’t all they are cracked up to be.
The 25th anniversary season of the Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival will continue when actors from Nassau in the Bahamas visit the Allendale Campus to perform one of the most critically acclaimed productions ever presented in the Bahamas.
The festival’s “Bard Beyond Borders” series will present performances of “Sizwe Banzi is Dead” January 31 and February 1 at 7:30 p.m. and February 2 at 2 p.m. in the Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre, located in the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts. A condensed version of the production will be performed during Grand Valley’s Arts at Noon series on January 30 from 12-1 p.m. in the Cook-DeWitt Center.
All performances are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Louis Armstrong Box Office at (616) 331-2300.
Written by Athol Fugard, “Sizwe Banzi is Dead” is set in the landscape of South Africa’s apartheid era, a time of institutionalized racial segregation that spanned from 1948 until the early 1990s.
The story confronts the struggles faced by people of color during that time and addresses broader questions of human worth and identity. This is done through the lens of a man getting his picture taken in a photography studio.
“Sizwe Bansi is Dead” was originally featured during the 2014 Shakespeare in Paradise Theatre Festival, and these performances will reunite the director and the original two cast members.
“This is a special offering to celebrate something which acknowledges that theater is a global communicator and that we can all connect through it,” said Karen Libman, professor of theater. “We are excited to offer our students and the community the chance to see high-quality theater that they might not necessarily see otherwise.”
Grand Valley’s history with the Shakespeare in Paradise Theatre Festival dates back to 2011 when Bard to Go, the university’s traveling student Shakespeare troupe, was first invited to perform at the festival. Bard to Go also performed at the festival in 2017.
While at Grand Valley, the Shakespeare in Paradise Theatre Festival actors will also facilitate theater workshops and classroom visits for students.
The Bard Beyond Borders series will continue in April with performances by a Shakespeare company from Egypt.
Last Thursday evening, siblings David, Thomas and Jennifer Driver, students at Endeavor Elementary, sat at the kitchen table in their Kentwood home coloring little circles in booklets.
“Did you read this morning?” mom Julie Driver asked David, a third-grader. “I know Thomas read this morning. Did you read at school, Jennifer?”
Kent District Library is a proud sponsor of SNN
This is Mission: READ!, a county-wide incentive program aimed at getting kids to read every day. The Driver children were among the first participants to sign up for the program, launched at Kent County public libraries on Jan. 7.
The mission is simple: For every day of reading, participants fill in one space in a Mission: READ! booklet. For every hundred spaces filled, they receive a small prize and a planet sticker to place on their Mission: READ! solar system poster. At 500 spaces, they receive a book. When 1,000 spaces are filled, they receive a tablet reader.
“I re-read a book called, ‘Who was Muhammad Ali?’,” said David. “I also read an autobiography about… I can’t remember… oh, Kareem-Abdul Jabar!”
Third-grader David Driver fills out his Mission: READ! booklet. Each spot colored represents a day on which he read
“With this program, we’re just asking, ‘Did you read today?’ If you read today, you can mark it in your booklet,” Ward said.
Mission: READ!What: An incentive program that encourages children to read every day for 1,000 days. Participants are rewarded with stickers, prizes and a book along the journey, and will receive a tablet reader upon completion of the program.Who: Open to students in kindergarten through third grade.How to sign up: To get your child started on the mission, visit any public library in Kent County. These include the Cedar Springs Public Library, the Sparta Township Library, any Grand Rapids Public Library location or any Kent District Library location.Information: Mission: READ!
One Small Step
The daily step is small enough, but diligence is required to complete the giant leap of a 1,000-day mission. The Driver children had read every day since receiving their booklets. Driver and her husband, Blake Driver, are raising eager readers. How have they managed?
“As parents, it’s about embracing what they love to read versus maybe what I want them to read,” said Driver, who found herself encouraging classics like “Old Yeller” and Choose Your Own Adventure books. “We had to learn that their interests were maybe different than what we wanted them to read. We wanted them to read this classic chapter book and they were like, ‘But we love graphic novels!’, so we’ve had to explore with our kids.”
Driver said Kentwood KDL branch librarians Mr. Greg and Ms. Hennie help her children find materials they enjoy. While this is one way they help patrons, librarians also have been trained to help students with Individual Reading Improvement Plans — or IRIPs. An IRIP is a document that identifies areas for improvement and lays out a plan to remedy deficiencies as identified by student assessments at the start of the school year.
“It’s important that schools and parents understand that the library is here to help,” said Lindsey Dorfman, director of branch services and operations for KDL’s 19 branches. “If students are struggling with reading, they can come to any one of the public libraries and staff are ready to give them tools and resources and support.”
As part of Mission:READ!, librarians are equipped with booster packs: curated books and activities designed to strengthen a student’s reading skills in specific areas pinpointed by an IRIP. These include phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Participants can sign up for Mission: READ! and find booster packs at the Cedar Springs Public Library, Sparta Township Library and any location in the GRPL or KDL systems. Participation is limited to students in kindergarten through third grade. The program targets them because it is largely a response to a looming challenge: implementation of the third grade reading law.
GRPL Youth Librarian Bridget Ward stands in front of a Mission: READ! display at the main branch.
3…2…1… Countdown to the Reading Law
The law, passed in October 2016 and set to take effect this fall, requires all third-graders to be within one year of grade level proficiency in reading, or risk being held back in school. Recent test scores revealed that only 46 percent of Michigan third-graders passed the English language arts exam. While the law allows exemptions for holding a student back, educators and community literacy partners are taking the challenge seriously.
Beth Travis is the principal at East Kelloggsville Elementary, a K-3 building
Beth Travis, principal at East Kelloggsville Elementary, says reading has always been a focus for teachers, but the law has added some urgency to their work.
“We’re a K-3 building so our teachers have been working very hard with all of our students, and they always have,” said Travis. “With the new third grade reading law there are some new constraints put on us, obviously, and what we want to do is make sure our students are getting the best education they can.”
The Kelloggsville Public Schools district, Travis said, is ideally positioned for Mission: READ!, as it has a KDL branch in its high-school building. All students in the district — Young 5s to 12th grade — have library cards and opportunities to visit the library with their class. KDL will be at the school’s Jan. 28 assembly to pitch Mission: READ! to students.
The program’s solar system theme, coincidentally, works well for Kelloggsville’s mascot, a rocket.
One of the biggest strengths of Mission: READ!, said Travis, is it empowers parents to help their children become proficient, and reinforces a family’s efforts to read at home, a recommendation in IRIPs. (The third grade reading law also mandated the IRIP, which has been required since last school year.)
“Not every student comes to school with the exact same abilities and the same background,” said Travis. In addition, she said, “Not every parent feels like they know exactly what’s best for their kids to read at home, so this helps guide them. It’s a great partnership for us.”
First-grader Jennifer Driver counts the days she has read so far
We Have Liftoff
In the first five days of the program alone, KDL had 71 children sign up for MIssion: READ! GRPL hadn’t yet tallied their numbers, but Ward said the librarians were getting the word out and were very excited every time a new child signed up.
“Ideally,” said Dorfman, “students will sign up in kindergarten and complete the program by third grade, the year by which they should be proficient.”
“There’s an urgent need to help these kids,” said Mark Raffler, English language arts consultant at Kent ISD. “When kids love to read, everything else in school comes more easily and with greater effectiveness. The results of good reading habits carry throughout their schooling and into adult life.”
While the program’s first finishers are still 900-some days away from meeting their goal, plans are already in the works to help students maximize their use of the ultimate prize: the tablet reader. When they earn the tablet, said Dorfman, students will receive a one-on-one consultation with a librarian who will teach them how to access the library’s e-book platform and check out books that they can read on the tablet.
“Essentially, we’re giving them a library in their hands for completing the program,” Dorfman said.
For more local school news, visit the School News Network website.
The Driver siblings — David, Jennifer and Thomas — were among the first children to sign up for Mission: READ!
Thomas Driver fills in spots in his Mission: READ! booklet
Proclaimed as “the most Russian of all Russian composers” by Igor Stravinsky, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was one of Western classical music’s most illustrious romantic composers. From the bombastic 1812 Overture to the enchanting Nutcracker ballet, Tchaikovsky’s music never fails to sweep listeners off of their feet.
The Grand Rapids Symphony’s Tchaikovsky Festival will celebrate the music of Tchaikovsky with a program featuring four pieces by the 19th century composer including At Bedtime, Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra, Andante Cantabile for Cello and String Orchestra, and the Symphony No. 4 in F minor.
The Richard and Helen DeVos Classical series concert is led by music director Marcelo Lehninger. The orchestra will be joined by the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus and cellist Andrei Ioniţă, winner of the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition.
The Grand Rapids Symphony also will perform at the ‘Tchaikovsky Festival” set for Feb. 8-9. (Supplied)
Join in the festivities on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9 at 8 p.m. at DeVos Performance Hall.
The Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus is sponsored by Mary Tuuk. Romanian cellist Andrei Ioniţă’s appearance is sponsored by the Edith I. Blodgett Guest Artist Fund.
Organized in 1962 with the guidance and support of Mary Ann Keeler, the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus attracts singers, ages 18 to 80, from all walks of life across West Michigan. In its 57th season as an affiliate of the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Chorus has joined the Symphony in performances of Mozart’s Mass in C minor and the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops.
Tchaikovsky’s music has a wide range of style and emotion, drawing inspiration from folk music to composers like Haydn and Mozart. With his Variations on a Rococo Theme, Tchaikovsky attempted to embody the simple elegance of 18th century music.
He had a reverence for Mozart in particular, as he told the Petersburg Life newspaper in an 1892 interview. “I was 16 when I heard Mozart’s Don Giovanni for the first time. For me, this was a revelation: I cannot find words to describe the overwhelming power of the impression which it made on me. It is probably due to this fact that of all the great composers it is Mozart for whom I feel the most tender love.”
Andrei Ioniţă, born in 1994 in Bucharest, began taking piano lessons at the age of 5 and received his first cello lesson three years later. His Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015 launched his flourishing career as a soloist and has performed in concert halls around the globe.
The San Diego Union Tribune declared that, “Ioniţă displayed an uncanny sureness of intonation and a beauty of tone, no matter how far his fingers traveled on the strings or how high his lines soared.”
Besides the popular Variations on a Rococo Theme, Ioniţă also will join the Grand Rapids Symphony for the Andante Cantabile for Cello and Orchestra, an arrangement of the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s first string quartet, which was performed at a concert honoring author Leo Tolstoy.
Of all late 19th century composers, Tchaikovsky had a knack for writing beautiful and eloquent melodies. The main melody of the Andante Cantabile is a Ukrainian folk song, but the secondary melody is Tchaikovsky’s, and the two melodies combined created music that brought Tolstoy to tears at its debut.
At the time he wrote his Symphony No. 4, Tchaikovsky had just entered a disastrous marriage that would end in divorce less than a year later. It comes as no surprise that his tumultuous personal life is reflected in the theme of his symphony.
In a letter to his friend and supporter, Madame von Meck, Tchaikovsky revealed the meaning behind his Fourth Symphony. “The introduction is the germ of the entire symphony, its central idea. This is Fate, the force that prevents our hopes of happiness from being realized, that jealously watches to see that peace and happiness not be complete or unclouded. Successive new themes express growing discontent and despair. A sweet vision appears but bitter Fate awakens us. Life is a continuous, shifting, grim reality.”
The composer was pleased with the symphony and considered it to be some of his best work. Though in another letter to von Meck, Tchaikovsky couldn’t help but wonder of the fate of the symphony itself. “What lies in store for this symphony? Will it survive long after its author has disappeared from the face of the earth, or straight away plunge into the depths of oblivion?”
Tchaikovsky would undoubtedly be pleased to know that fate has been kind to his symphony. Not only has his music survived, but it is celebrated to this day.
Inside the Music, a free, pre-concert, multi-media presentation sponsored by BDO USA, will be held before each performance at 7 p.m. in the DeVos Place Recital Hall
Tickets for the Richard and Helen DeVos Classical series start at $18 and are available at the Grand Rapids Symphony box office, weekdays 9 am – 5 pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across the street from Calder Plaza). Call (616) 454-9451 x 4 to order by phone. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum).
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place ticket office, weekdays 10 am – 6 pm or on the day of the concert beginning two hours before the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Special Offers
Full-time students of any age can purchase tickets for $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Tickets program, sponsored by Calvin College. Discounts are available to members of MySymphony360, the Grand Rapids Symphony’s organization for young professionals ages 21-35.
Students age 7-18 also are able to attend for free when accompanied by an adult. Free for Kids tickets must be purchased in advance at the GRS Ticket office. Up to two free tickets are available with the purchase of a regular-price adult ticket. Go online for more details.
Symphony Scorecard provides up to four free tickets for members of the community receiving financial assistance from the State of Michigan and for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, whether on active or reserve duty or serving in the National Guard. Go online for information to sign up with a Symphony Scorecard Partner Agency.
Many Michiganders are helping pollinators by planting flowers that provide nutrition and habitat for our birds and bees. Pollinators across the country are experiencing population declines: annual honey bee losses range around 40 percent, monarch butterfly populations have experienced severe declines and some of Michigan’s native pollinators are becoming endangered, like the rusty patched bumble bee, which was listed as an endangered species in 2017 and hasn’t been seen in Michigan since 2001. A key cause of pollinator decline is a loss of habitat. It is essential to plant flowers and restore habitat if we want to have healthy pollinator populations in our state.
Anyone can provide pollinator habitat by planting flowers, and there are many programs that promote and incentivize planting for pollinators. This year, two organizations expanded their programs to include Michigan, providing seeds to individuals and organizations interested in helping pollinators. Check out the two programs below as well as the resources at Michigan Pollinator Initiative to help establish pollinator habitat.
Project Wingspan collects and distributes seeds for monarchs and the endangered rusty patched bumble bee.
The Pollinator Partnership has joined forces with several organizations and agencies to launch their new initiative, Project Wingspan, and they need your help! The project will be collecting seeds throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. They have put a call out for enthusiastic seed collecting volunteers in all six states to help identify and collect milkweed and other common nectar plants. As a seed collecting volunteer, you will be provided with training and will be making valuable contributions to supporting migrating monarchs and the imperiled rusty patched bumble bee.
No seed collecting experience is required, but basic plant knowledge is preferred. Training and seed collection will start in spring 2019, but you can get on the list now. To sign up as a seed collector, email Amber Barnes at ab@pollinator.org with your name, city, state and preferred email address or fill out the online form. You will be added to their volunteer contact list and more information will follow soon.
The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund ‘Seed a Legacy’ program provides seeds to landowners for restoration and feeding bees.
The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund is a nonprofit dedicated to establishing high quality pollinator habitats. Their Seed A Legacy Pollinator Habitat Program provides a unique opportunity for the managers of private, public and corporate lands to establish high quality pollinator habitat. They develop mixes that are focused on different pollinators: monarchs, honey bees and native pollinators. You can apply to receive seeds for free or for a discount. They have a lot of information on how to successfully establish a habitat, and they have put a lot of work to make sure their seed mixes have high value to pollinators.
Chris Stapleton will continue his extensive, sold-out “All-American Road Show” through 2019 with newly confirmed performances this summer and fall. The shows will kick-off July 9 at Allentown’s PPL Center and will makes its way to SMG-managed Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Friday, August 16, at 7 p.m. Guest openers include Brent Cobb and The Marcus King Band.
Stapleton Fan Club pre-sales will begin Tuesday, January 29 at 10 a.m. local time. For more information visitwww.stapletonfanclub.com.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of four (4) tickets will apply to every order. See Ticketmaster.com for all pricing and availability.
Fans on Van Andel Arena’s email list will have access to a presale on Thursday, January 31 at 10:00 a.m. In order to receive access, sign up to the list by January 30. Sign up for the email list here.
Citi is the official presale credit card of Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets for U.S. dates beginning Tuesday, January 29 at 10:00 AM local time until Thursday, January 31 at 10:00 PM local time through Citi’s Private Pass Program. For complete presale details visitwww.citiprivatepass.com.
The newly confirmed shows follow yet another monumental year for Stapleton, who is nominated in three categories at the 61st GRAMMY Awards: Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”) as well as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for his performance on Justin Timberlake’s “Say Something.” Additionally, last year, Stapleton won Male Vocalist of the Year (for the fourth-straight year), Single of the Year (“Broken Halos”) and Song of the Year (“Broken Halos”) at The 52 Annual CMA Awards, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year (From A Room: Volume 1 as both artist and producer) at the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards, Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist and Top Country Album (From A Room: Volume 1) at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards and Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 1), Best Country Song (“Broken Halos”) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Either Way”) at the 60th GRAMMY Awards.
Released in December 2017 on Mercury Records Nashville, From A Room: Volume 2 takes its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (the capital “A” in “From A Room”) where it was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb. Along with Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums.
In addition to his work as a solo artist, Stapleton is also featured on Justin Timberlake’s “Say Something.” The music video—which was filmed in a single shot at L.A.’s historic Bradbury Building—has been viewed over 287 million times. Watch here.
Meet Pamela Benjamin, who shared her experiences with VOICES back in November of 2017. Benjamin’s animated personality made an already interesting saga that much richer.
Always an independent soul, Benjamin had traveled by ship from New Zealand to Australia on her way to Canada when she was 25 years old. She never got further than Sydney, where she met future husband Craig, who had stopped by Benjamin’s group house to give her friend, Tina, a flute lesson. Benjamin was in the kitchen baking a cake at the time.
“I gave him a piece of cake and he asked us to the movies,” said Benjamin. Tina and another man joined them.
That night, the course of Benjamin’s history changed. During dinner, the second man read her palm and asked Benjamin if he could speak to her privately.
“He told me that Craig and I would be happily married for a long time and have two children,” she said. “I told him, ‘Don’t be stupid, we just met at lunchtime.'”
The Benjamins have now been married over 40 years and have three children. (Nobody’s perfect, not even palm readers.)
The Benjamins emigrated to the United States — and Grand Rapids, specifically — in 2003 so that Craig (affectionately called “CB”) could accept a job offer at Grand Valley State University teaching Big History, an academic discipline which examines history from the Big Bang to the present.
“We came here because there were no jobs for professors in Australia,” Benjamin said. “Craig went from being a professional musician and high school band director to teaching Big History at GVSU.”
Benjamin found the move challenging in several respects, the most drastic of which was the threat to her independence. Although Craig had an H-1B visa, Pamela was dismayed to discover that her status as his spouse was essentially that of a ‘nonperson’. She couldn’t check out library books. She couldn’t get a driver’s license. Everything was different, including the grocery store; nothing looked familiar.
She felt isolated. Making art helped. So, too, did writing. But something more was needed. Something warm and fuzzy.
“I got a puppy,” said Benjamin. “It was a lifesaver.”
Today, Benjamin holds citizenship in three countries — New Zealand, Australia and the United States. She and Craig travel the world; she continues to make art; and she chronicles her life, family and their journeys on her blog.
Sink, check. Toothbrush, check. Shower head? Yes, add the shower head to your checklist of things to replace or clean in the bathroom. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
You no doubt think that stepping into your shower will wash away dirt and germs, but a new study shows your shower head might instead dump nasty bacteria on you that may cause lung infections.
Most people know to keep their bathrooms clean, especially the toilet and sink. But researchers discovered that places in the United States and Europe where germs called mycobacteria are found in abundance in shower heads are the same places where bacterial lung infections are most common. In America, that includes parts of Southern California, Florida and New York.
“We live in a world covered in bacteria, and the bacteria in our shower heads follow some interesting geographic trends, and can be altered by our water source and water chemistry,” said study lead author Matthew Gebert.
“We’re exposed to microbes constantly in our day-to-day lives, some beneficial, some innocuous and a few potentially harmful,” Gebert explained.
He’s a research associate at the University of Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
Bacteria thrive in shower heads and water distribution systems. Although most of these bacteria are harmless, some can cause lung infections, he said.
Still, just because mycobacteria live in your shower head doesn’t mean you’ll get sick or are more likely to get a respiratory infection, Gebert added.
In fact, researchers can’t say that a person with a respiratory infection got it through showering, but understanding the sources of mycobacterial exposure is important.
“We don’t want people rushing home and throwing away their shower heads or obsessively cleaning them every day, nor should anyone change their showering habits—swallowing the water is OK,” he said.
For the study, Gebert and his colleagues analyzed shower heads from homes around the United States and Europe, and found an abundance of bacteria. The kind of germs varied by location, and by the chemistry of the water and where it came from.
An interesting finding was that homes whose water was treated with chlorine disinfectants had high concentrations of certain germs, the researchers noted.
The study was published recently in the journal mBio.
“I don’t think there are necessarily any negative implications from the study,” Gebert said. “But because bacteria that can cause illness live in our shower heads, it’s important to understand how people can be exposed to them.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, noted that bacteria grow in wet places like shower heads.
“This is a reminder to clean your shower head, which nobody does,” he said, though “most of us are likely to tolerate mycobacteria and not get sick from it.”
Bacteria in shower heads won’t cause an outbreak of lung infections, but people who are run down or who have a compromised immune system or a chronic condition may be vulnerable, Siegel suggested.
Bacteria also live on your toothbrush and in your sink—any moist surface, he said.
Siegel recommends cleaning your shower head every week or two with a disinfectant that contains ammonia to be sure you kill all the germs nesting there.
“Add your shower head to the list of things in the bathroom that need cleaning,” he said.
The average job search process takes over six weeks and can be longer depending on the industry and level of the position. If you’re unemployed, you need to make job search your full-time job to get the fastest results.
West Michigan Works! provides free services to help you at every step of the job search process. There are also things you can do at home to stay productive. Here are some tips and at-home resources to make the most of your time when looking for work.
Collect everything you need. Take some time before you start searching to pull together the details of your employment history. This will make filling out an application and creating a resume faster and easier.
It is also helpful to have a list of action words available to describe the work you have done in the past. We recommend a list of 139 action words provided by indeed.com. You can access it at http://bit.ly/139ActionVerbs.
Become a LinkedIn pro. UseLinkedIn to network, learn about companies and find job openings. Start by making a list of 30 companies where you’d like to work. Follow them on LinkedIn for updates, job postings, news, etc. Many employers use LinkedIn to recruit; if you follow them, you will see job openings as soon as they are posted. Once you land an interview, research the company online to gather information to reference in your interview.
Need help creating a LinkedIn profile? Check out this article from Money magazine: http://bit.ly/MoneyLinkedIN.
Practice makes perfect. The more you do something, the easier it gets. This is true for finding a job. You can use YouTube videos to practice a variety of job search skills like communicating effectively on the phone and using body language to make a good impression during an interview.
Check out the Linda Raynier and Work It Daily channels on YouTube for short, to-the-point videos that can help you get your next job!
If you are looking for assistance exploring career options, building your resume or preparing for an interview, West Michigan Works! can help with this and more. Find free workshops near you at westmiworks.org/calendar.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) set an all-time passenger record for 2018, marking the sixth straight year that the Airport has seen record-setting growth.
In 2018, 3,263,234 passengers flew in and out of GFIA, an increase of 16-percent from 2017. The record-setting year was capped in December with an increase of 17-percent year-over-year. With 273,673 total passengers, it marked the busiest December ever. This was the first time the Airport served more than a quarter-million passengers in the month of December.
“We had originally projected to hit the three million mark in 2020. To have that much growth in 2018 was a tremendous accomplishment,” said GFIA Interim President & CEO Brian Picardat. “Wecouldn’t have done it without our outstanding staff, our loyal passengers, and all of our airlinepartners and airport tenants.”
Additionally, the Airport has processed over 2.5 billion pounds of cargo since 1967. Cargo totals for 2018 hit 91 million pounds – a 3-percent increase over 2017.
Helping spur the passenger growth, the Ford Airport added six new routes in 2018. Frontier Airlines began nonstop service to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Denver International Airport (DEN), Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Tampa International Airport (TPA). American Airlines began new nonstop service to Miami International Airport (MIA) and Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
GFIA has invested in new facilities to accommodate the growing traffic by recently beginning construction on Phase Two of the Gateway Transformation Project – a remodel of the ticketing and baggage claim hall. The Apron Reconstruction Project, a $30 million project that will repair the terminal apron – the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, and refueled, will resume in the Spring.
Allegiant announced they were adding an aircraft base in Grand Rapids which is set to begin operation in June. They have also added three new nonstop destinations to begin in 2019. Service to Sarasota-Bradenton (SRQ) will begin in April. Service to Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) will begin in June.
“We continue to grow our air service and facilities. On average, airports our size have nonstop service to 17 cities. We are now serving 29,” said Picardat. “We are increasing our capacity andworking to accommodate more routes for our passengers.”
