Author Archives: editor

Candidate Bio: Roy J. Portenga

Candidate for Muskegon Community College (MCC) Board of Trustees

roy-portenga-image001I’m running for re-election to the Muskegon Community College (MCC) Board of Trustees.  I was born and raised in Muskegon County, attended West. MI Christian High School, MCC (’71-’73), Univ. of Michigan, and then Valparaiso University School of Law.  I’ve been practicing law in Muskegon since 1981 and have raised my family in the County.

When I returned to Muskegon after law school, I wanted to “give back” and I could think of no better way than to get involved in the school I loved—MCC.  I became involved in the MCC Alumni Association, the MCC Foundation, the ’95 Presidential Search Committee, and then I became elected as a Trustee in ’98.  I’ve since been re-elected twice and respectfully ask that you help me get re-elected again.

As it did with me, MCC changes lives—economically, socially, and emotionally.  I am committed to making sure MCC continues to offer cutting edge, quality college courses at affordable prices.  I think our Board has been doing that.  Indeed, Value Colleges recently ranked MCC 27th out of the nation’s 1711 community colleges.  I will do my best to make sure this value continues.

Roy J. Portenga
711 Center Street
N. Muskegon

Candidate Bio: Dennis B Murphy

Candidate for Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District

dennis-1_smDennis Murphy is running to represent west Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District. Dennis is a native of West Michigan, growing up in Muskegon and Muskegon Heights. He understands and appreciates the people and natural resources in this part of the State.

Dennis graduated from Muskegon High School followed by Western Michigan University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education. After teaching for three years, he changed careers. He has worked in manufacturing since 1995 and as a quality engineer since 1999 in the automotive manufacturing industry. Dennis understands the importance of the automotive and manufacturing industries to our economy. He will fight for policies to support good jobs.

Dennis and his family are avid cyclists and runners. Dennis has been actively involved in the mountain biking and bicycling advocacy since 1999. They also enjoy backpacking, camping and canoeing. He will work to protect our natural resources and ensure that access and opportunities are maintained.

Dennis has been married to Joni (Keglovitz) for 29 years and has two sons- Patrick and Brenden. As a husband and father, Dennis appreciates the need for laws to protect middle class families. “We need to ensure job and educational opportunities for our younger generations and do all we can to build a growing middle class. We also have to support Social Security and Medicare for current and future retirees by preventing privatization of these programs.”

You can find out more about his positions at www.dennismurphyforcongress.com.

dennismurphyforcongress@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/Dennis-Murphy-for-Congress-436327029899007/

Candidate Bio: Erwin Haas

Libertarian Party candidate for Michigan’s second congressional district.

Commissioner, Kentwood’s Second Ward-No new taxes or debts on my watch
commissionerhaascloseup_sm-Flight surgeon in Vietnam, highest rank, major
-Worked last 5 years at Fort Bliss Army Hospital
-Infectious Diseases physician
-Board member of the Grand Valley Coop Credit Union for 8 years
-Medical advisory board, Hospice
-MBA GVSU; taught marketing
-Licenses to sell real estate and stocks
-Writer, published in Liberty Magazine, LewRockwell.com, Medical Economics, Michigan Medicine; also a dozen scientific articles on medicine
-Economist/blogs commentator
-Author of 3 books; all unsuccessful
-Produced, edited and directed THE OPEN MIKE program on Channel 24 in Grand Rapids.
-Education
Canisius College, BA University of Buffalo, MD Grand Valley State University, MBA
-Married for 41 years to Kris Kitzsteiner MD, 3 successful kids

–Campaign Website
–Facebook
–Twitter
–YouTube

PRIORITIES;
1) Right-size our military commitments and costs. Our Army has lost almost every one of its wars (including my war) during the last 70 years and didn’t stop terrorist attacks in the USA.
2) Replace the corrupt and inefficient IRS with the fair tax-basically a national sales tax. This plan has a “prebate” that pays the tax for the poor.
3) Balance the budget and pay down the national debt by eliminating 4 departments of government; energy, commerce, education and HUD. These add plenty of harmful regulations, none of which have economic benefit.
4) My parents were legal immigrants, became citizens, and contributed mightily to our country. That goal needs to be retained. Folks coming here should be enthusiastic, ambitious, working toward citizenship and assimilation.

Poor Farm Sesquicentennial Celebration

October 1, 2016, from 11 am-5 pm at the Eastmanville Farm County Park

When the Ottawa County Poor Farm received its first resident in 1866, no one could have imagined the benefits it would provide over the decades. The Poor Farm was a haven for indigent people who, due to the happenstance of birth, misfortune, or poverty, were in dire straits and needed a place to call home—a sanctuary staffed with people who could nurse them to better health. Now, as Eastmanville Farm, it provides hiking and equestrian trails to outdoor enthusiasts.

Celebrate the rich history of the Poor Farm on Saturday, October 1 from 11 am-5 pm. That day you can expect historical re-enactors, local musicians, and special exhibits honoring the residents and workers of the farm.

This event is family-friendly and admission is free! for more info, click here!

2016 Muskegon County Day of Caring

Day of Caring-2016 Kicks Off United Way’s Human Service Campaign:
Pacesetters’ Solid Early Results Mark 15% of Goal

MUSKEGON – Hundreds of volunteers came together Friday, September 9, at the Muskegon Farmers Market for United Way of the Lakeshore’s 2016 Muskegon County Day of Caring and campaign kickoff. The volunteers met for a breakfast at the Farmers Market, before heading out to work sites to address projects identified by nine local agencies: Kids Food Basket, The Salvation Army of Muskegon, Community enCompass, Pathfinders, Muskegon Area Land Bank Authority, Muskegon Area Transit System, Love INC, Mission for Area People, and Brookhaven Medical Facility.

Christine Robere, President and CEO, United Way of the Lakeshore said, “The agencies each provide services that help ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families meet their basic needs when issues arise. ALICE represents 1 in 4 Muskegon County families—approximately 15,000 households—led by men and women of all ages and races who get up each day to go to work, but are one unexpected expense away from crisis.” Robere added, “Every dollar from individual donors through the United Way annual workplace campaign goes to fund human service needs related to education, income stability, and health, right here in our community—while corporate and grant funding helps to cover our administrative costs, for which we thank those corporate sponsors.” “Today, we thank all of you and we salute each and every volunteer who gives their time, talent, and treasures as they care for our community and help to kick off the United Way Annual Campaign to fund human service needs in Muskegon County,” Robere underscored.

Erik Jepsen, Campaign Chairman for 2016, recognized the volunteer effort and said, “The Day of Caring also serves as the official launch of the United Way of the Lakeshore’s fundraising campaign with a goal to raise $2.27 million to invest in Muskegon County. To meet that goal, we expect 6,000 donors from 350 workplaces to participate this year, many who know the plight of ALICE and want to support United Way priorities that help kids succeed, improve healthy living and increase financial stability and independence.” Jepsen added, “We’re proud of the giving spirit in Muskegon County where over the past decade we have raised close to $30 million from individuals; this funding has helped to leverage an additional $10 million local matching dollars to invest in human service needs of area children and families.”

Jepsen said, “Based on our early results from Pacesetters, we can reach that goal to help ALICE.”

 

Pacesetter campaigns begin about a month ahead of campaign kick- off to help “set the pace” for the entire campaign. Preliminary results from the 2016 Pacesetter campaign efforts are strong showing the combined Muskegon County pacesetter campaigns totaling close to 15% of the overall goal at $338,935.

 

The following Pacesetter companies all ran great campaigns, according to Jepsen:

 

  • ADAC Automotive raised $40,200 (27% increase over 2015)
  • Cannon-Muskegon raised $89,520 (12% over 2015)
  • First General Credit Union $7,183 (591% over last year)
  • Hooker DeJong Architects Engineers $4,176
  • Knoll raised $78,000
  • LifeCircles raised $4,823

 

-more-

  • McKenzie Price raised $1,926 (30% increase)
  • Muskegon Area ISD has raised $36,000 so far (11% increase)
  • Parmenter O’Toole raised $6,152
  • The ARC Muskegon raised $1,616 (more than 40% increase over 2015)
  • Tyler Sales raised $11,617 so far
  • United Way Human Service Complex raised $11,617 (9% increase over 2015)
  • West Michigan Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 174 raised $2,781 thus far

 

Jepsen also introduced key volunteers who are assisting with this year’s campaign. Loaned Executives include:

    • Debbie Anderson, Child Abuse Council
    • Steve Barnard, Wastewater Management System, Muskegon County
    • Jessica Chandler, Merrill Lynch
    • Alex Conrad, Y-Knot Embroidery & Screenprinting
    • Jennifer Grinnell, LifeCircles
    • Stacy Hollenbeck, Huntington
    • Brian Kammerzell, Comerica Bank
    • Steve Keglovitz, Community Volunteer
    • Jackie Knowlton, Fifth Third Bank
    • Cyndi Langlois, Muskkegon Community College
    • Jeff Malec, Malec Engineering Solutions
    • Lauren Meldrum, HealthWest
    • Lori O’Brien, Community Volunteer
    • Kim Parmer, Cannon Muskegon
    • Ben Reider, Parmenter O’Toole
    • Doniele Routt, Nowak Machined Products
    • Farrah Staff, Edward Jones
    • Skyler Vaughn, CWC Textron

 

The Campaign Cabinet includes:

    • Alcoa Employees – Jackie Johnson, Christie Hill & Chelsea McEntaffer
    • Mercy Health Partner – Blaire Moreau & Dave Webber
    • Manufacturing – Erik Gentzkow (Cannon Muskegon) & Brendan Bolhuis (Beacon Recycling)
    • Construction/Utilities – Rich Houtteman (Consumers Energy)
    • Education – John Severson (Muskegon Area ISD)
    • Human Service agencies/churches –Penny Albertie & Mike Mitchell (American Red Cross)
    • Professionals – Josh Reece (Parmenter O’Toole)
    • FIRE (Finance/Insurance/Real Estate) – Brett Burza (Raymond James)
    • Commercial/Retail – Jonathan Pittman (Muskegon Mall)
    • Labor Chair – Bob Barnett (UA 174)
    • Loaned Executives & training – Jessica Chandler (Merrill Lynch)
    • Leadership Circle – Brad and Janice Hilleary (Webb Chemical)
    • Tocqueville – Jim & Kristine Tyler (Tyler Sales)
    • Retirees – Bob Carter

Individuals may donate securely online to help working families at www.unitedwaylakeshore.org  Any workplace that would like to have an employee campaign, please contact Nancy Robbins, Resource Development Director, United Way of the Lakeshore, at (231) 332-4003 or nancy@unitedwaylakeshore.org

Newaygo County and Oceana County Day of Caring and kickoff for campaigns in those counties are scheduled later in the fall.

United Way of the Lakeshore is uniting to inspire change and build thriving communities. Our Bold Goal – 10,000 more working families meet their basic needs by 2025. For more information, contact United Way of the Lakeshore at 231-332-4047 or visit www.unitedwaylakeshore.org

Two New Films from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Two new films from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association launched Sept. 1
Churches and individuals can now download or view two new programs from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

My Hope, a ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has released a 30-minute program called “Decisions,” which features a Gospel message from Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The program looks at the lives of people of different ages and backgrounds who have heard the Gospel through Graham’s 2016 Decision America Tour and made life-changing decisions to follow Christ.

Additionally, the BGEA debuted “A Time for Decision: Pray, Vote, Engage,” a special 30-minute program that goes behind the scenes of the Decision America Tour. As the Decision America Tour travels to all 50 states in 2016, Graham has been encouraging Christians to vote, to live out their faith in every part of their lives and to pray for our nation.

“I’ve been talking to people about the importance of decisions. I see thousands of people faced with a choice… and I want [them] to know the truth,” said Franklin Graham. “Any time you have a crowd of people, I can guarantee there will be somebody in that crowd that doesn’t know Jesus Christ. So, every time I’m at the microphone I’m going to give the Gospel.”

A free DVD including both “Decisions” with “A Time for Decision: Pray, Vote, Engage,” as a bonus feature is now available for pre-orders with shipment expected in early fall.

Ask Dr. Universe – Smallest Insect

What is the smallest insect on Earth? –Laurenz, 8, Molino, Philippines

Dear Laurenz,

When I saw your question, I set out to explore with my bug net and a magnifying glass. I was searching all around for tiny insects when I ran into my friend Laura Lavine, a Washington State University scientist who studies bugs.

She said there are nearly a million different kinds of insects on Earth. The smallest of all the known ones are called fairyflies.

Like all insects, fairyflies have six legs. And like most insects, they also have wings. Some swim under water and use their wings as paddles. Their wings are also a bit hairy. It also turns out the fairyfly isn’t truly a fly. It’s a kind of wasp.

“They are almost impossible to spot with the naked eye,” Lavine said.

In fact, fairy flies are nearly 400 times smaller than the typical ant. And they are about two or three times the width of a human hair.

I imagine finding a fairyfly would be like finding a needle in a haystack. You’d have to keep a sharp eye out.

I started to wonder how exactly entomologists could spot such fairyflies or other kinds of small insects in the wild. For example, a couple years ago scientists discovered a new kind of fairyfly in Costa Rica. It was named Tinkerbella nana after the fairy from Peter Pan.

Lavine explained that scientists often use nets or traps to catch the insects. Sometimes they have to sift through dirt and litter, or decaying leaf matter, a teaspoon at a time to see what they can find.

Scientists can also use what they know about the insect’s behavior and habitat to help track them down. Fairyflies, despite their cute name, are killer insects. They lay eggs inside a host insect’s egg. When the fairyfly’s egg hatches, it eats the host egg. If we keep our eyes out for their host bugs and their eggs, we might also find the fairyfly.

Fairyflies are important for the environment, Lavine added. Farmers and scientists can use fairyflies to help get rid of bigger insects that damage grape vines, blackberries and sugar cane. These tiny creatures help us do a big job.

The insect world is filled with interesting critters. Thinking about the smallest insect also made me wonder about the biggest one on our planet. The biggest bug is a giant walking stick. It’s almost 2 feet long. But who knows? There might be even bigger insects or even smaller insects we haven’t discovered yet crawling around on our planet.

Thanks for your question, Laurenz. It reminds me that even the small things can inspire us to wonder big.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe
Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Send your question to Dr.Universe@wsu.edu

Muskegon’s Largest Waterfront Development

A group of local business and community leaders recently announced plans to turn the 120-acre former Sappi Paper Mill property into Windward Pointe, a mixed-use development including residential, commercial and community uses.

Located adjacent to the Muskegon Country Club, there are numerous possibilities for Windward Pointe: housing options, mixed-use projects, hotels and resorts, restaurants, retail, offices, marinas, charter fishing and water taxis.

The local business owners formed an investment group called Pure Muskegon. They are working with the Michigan Attorney General, MDEQ, Sappi Paper, and Melching to facilitate the cleanup and redevelopment of the property.

Over the next year, Melching will continue demolition of the remaining structures, including subsurface foundations and infrastructure.

Representatives from the Pure Muskegon group will be discussing Windward Pointe in more detail at the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce’s September Business for Breakfast on September 30.

Credit Union’s First Ottawa County Branch Office

Brownfield Plan Approved to Construct Best Financial Credit Union’s First Ottawa County Branch Office

SPRING LAKE, MI – On August 23, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners approved a Brownfield Plan that will pave the way for BestFinancial Credit Union (Best FCU) to construct its first Ottawa County branch office in the Village of Spring Lake. The Brownfield Plan will allowBest FCU to utilize Tax Increment Financing to help offset the cost of redeveloping this site at the corner of Savidge and School Streets, just northof Millpoint Park along the Grand River. The site is a current “brownfield” due to the presence of contamination in the area from historic industrialuses at the site and nearby properties.

“We are excited to open our first Ottawa County branch office, and to open it on a site that was in need of redevelopment. Taking a defunctproperty and turning it into a place of employment for local residents is a win for everyone,” commented Morgan Rescorla, President and CEO ofBest FCU. Site plan approval by Spring Lake officials is pending and, if approved, Best FCU hopes to close on the property later this year. Afterleveraging funds provided by state agencies and local authorities for the purchase and improvement of the property, Rescorla anticipates that BestFCU will hire four full-time and three part- time employees at the new Spring Lake location. Best FCU currently has two locations in Muskegon to serve its members. Best FCU offers members a wide range of financial services including loans, savings accounts, checking accounts and creditcards. Formerly Community Schools Credit Union, Best FCU, a not-for-profit organization, has been serving its members since 1955.

The Ottawa County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (OCBRA) was able to provide two other means of financial assistance for theBest FCU project. First, the Board of Commissioners gave its approval for the OCBRA to request a loan from the Department of EnvironmentalQuality (MDEQ) that will help Best FCU pay for redevelopment at the brownfield site. This is the first time the OCBRA has used this financial tool to assist developers to revitalize brownfields. The loan program is part of the Clean Michigan Initiative legislation under the NaturalResources and Environmental Protection Act. Second, the Best FCU project is one of 34 properties that received funding from an Environmental Protection Agency grant awarded to the OCBRA to perform environmental assessments necessary for responsible redevelopment of brownfield sites in Ottawa County. The funds have now been fully expended and the grant closes on September 30, 2016.

For more information about redeveloping brownfield sites in Ottawa County and the tools available, contact the OCBRA at 616.738.4852or visit www.miottawa.org/ocbra.

Key Piece of Property to be Added to North Ottawa Dunes

The acquisition of this 80-acre parcel by Ottawa County Parks is part of a property exchange spearheaded by Spring Lake Township.

North Ottawa Dunes Master Plan map

Key 80-acre parcel highlighted in dark green

Ottawa County Parks is thrilled to announce the Board of Commissioner’s approval of an agreement to acquire of 80 acres of property for North Ottawa Dunes. Approval by Ottawa County Board of Commissioners follows the Spring Lake Township Board approval of the agreement on Monday night (September 12).

The privately-owned parcel, locally known as the “Brill Property,” is located on the eastern edge of the park and surrounded on three sides by park property. Because of the parcel’s geography and natural features, it has been considered a key segment for the park by both Ottawa County Parks and Spring Lake Township for a decade.

The land will be acquired by way of a property exchange between Spring Lake Township and David C. Bos Homes, a negotiation spearheaded by Spring Lake Township. Ottawa County Parks will contribute $360,000 from their millage for the property. “We are especially grateful to John Nash, Spring Lake Township Supervisor, who has led the efforts to secure this land for North Ottawa Dunes,” said John Scholtz, Director of Ottawa County Parks.

The property exchange is expected to be finalized in 30 days.

North Ottawa Dunes is part of a unique freshwater dune system that extends along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in the southern end of Lake Michigan to Wilderness State Park just south of the Mackinaw Bridge. Immediately south of P.J. Hoffmaster State Park, the park is one of the largest wooded dune assemblages remaining in central West Michigan. These dunes are the biggest and most extensive freshwater dunes anywhere in the world. They formed over the last 5,000 years as westerly winds moved the large amounts of sand on shore where beach grasses stabilized the sand and began the dune building process.
The additional 80-acre parcel will increase the total acreage of North Ottawa Dunes to 593 acres. The property is primarily backdune forest dominated by sugar maple, American beech, Eastern hemlock and red oak. Over thousands of years, these dunes have changed from bare sand to this lush forest through a process called succession. Today, this property features tremendous topography with a number of dunes exceeding 175 feet in height with some formations reaching over 750 feet in height. Land to establish North Ottawa Dunes was acquired in late 2005 and trails and parking were completed in 2009.

Sign Unveiling Celebration for the Preservation of the Hehl Farm

Ottawa County Sign Unveiling Celebration for the Preservation of the Hehl Farm

The Ottawa County Agricultural Preservation Board is pleased to announce that it closed on its first permanently preserved agricultural property on August 24, 2016.  The Hehl Farm, a 34.9 acre hog and cattle farm in Polkton Township, is the first farm permanently preserved by the Ottawa County Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program.

To commemorate this achievement, the Agricultural Preservation Board is holding a sign unveiling celebration on September 29, 2016 at 4:30 p.m.  The sign unveiling celebration will feature guest speaker Carl Bednarski, President of the Michigan Farm Bureau.  A picnic will be held immediately following the sign unveiling.  The celebration will be held at the Hehl Farm located at 14468 88th Avenue, Coopersville, MI 49404.

“This is a first for Ottawa County,” stated Cliff Meeuwsen, Chair of the Agricultural Preservation Board.  “The need for farmland that provides food for the world continues to grow, while we continue to lose farmland to development at a rapid pace.  This program preserves farmland and green space for future generations, and we should remember that without timely rains and farmland, we could not exist.”

hehl-farm-pic

The PDR Program is a voluntary program that preserves farmland through the purchase and donation of development rights for actively farmed property.  It is the program’s mission to preserve the scenic, environmental, and economic benefits that farms and farmland provide to their local communities and beyond.   

Landowners who participate in the program receive compensation for the development potential of the land, yet they still own their land and retain the majority of the rights associated with it. Development of the land is restricted by a permanent deed restriction, which bars any future residential and commercial development on the land.

The PDR Program is funded entirely through private donations, contributions from foundations, and state and federal grants.  Without these sources, the Program would not be able to continue to preserve and protect local farmland.  If you are interested in making a contribution to the Program, donations can be made to the Ottawa County Farmland Preservation Fund through the Holland/Zeeland Community Foundation. 

If you are interested in attending the Hehl Farm Preservation Sign Unveiling Celebration, please RSVP by September 22 at (616) 738-4852, via email at plan@miottawa.org, or electronically at the Ottawa County Events site.

Fruitport’s Trump Flash Mob

August 30, 2016 – A flash mob for Donald Trump formed at the corner of Harvey St. and Sternberg in Fruitport Township.

United Airlines Passenger Numbers Continue to Climb

The number of passengers choosing Muskegon County Airport (MKG) for air travel continues to climb.  The total number of passengers flying United Airlines (operating as United Express) to and from MKG  was 3,686 for the month of June, and the total number of passengers using United Express year-to-date is 15,802, up 8% from the same time last year.

“We are very pleased to see the number of passengers choosing to fly locally on United Express continue to grow,” said Jeffrey Tripp, Muskegon Airport Manager “The airport is an important part of the County’s economy and it is great to see these positive results.  We encourage everyone to always Check MKG First for your travel needs.”

Tripp attributes United’s recent growth to airline ticket price parity with Grand Rapids, modification of the evening flight to a 30-minute earlier departure time – which allows for better connections at O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – and continued strong on-time performance.  United Express offers daily round trip flights to Chicago O’Hare on 50seat regional jet aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines, providing passengers with convenient connections to anywhere in the world.

Buying Alcohol for Underaged Friends Carries a Sobering Cost for College Students, Warns Statewide Safety Coalition

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and a multi-agency consortium take on underage drinking with a statewide campaign launched at Wayne State University

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Secretary of State Ruth Johnson talks about the consequences of providing alcohol to minors and curbing the access to alcohol for those who are not of legal age.

DETROIT, Mich. – With the backdrop of thousands of returning students at Wayne State University’s central campus, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and a consortium of state, county and local officials kicked off a targeted campaign this morning to curb underage drinking and drunken driving.

The statewide “21 to Buy, Not Supply” college campus campaign seeks to raise awareness about the legal and far-reaching consequences of providing alcohol to minors while curbing the access to alcohol for those who are not of legal age.

“Our target audience is young adults who turn 21 and suddenly have access to increased privileges and responsibilities,” Johnson explained. “We know their younger friends may turn to them for alcohol, especially on college campuses where house parties and tailgates are such a temptation, but our message is don’t do it. There is too much at risk.”

Also speaking at the event was Inspector James Wolf, assistant district commander of the MSP Second District (southeast Michigan), Michigan Liquor Control Commission Chairman Andrew Deloney, Diane Dovico, executive director of the Royal Oak Community Coalition and David Pitawanakwat, director of Governmental Affairs for the Wayne State Student Senate.

Other coalition partners attending the event included representatives from the Alliance Coalition for Healthy Communities, Oakland County Health Division, and the Office of Highway Safety Planning. The press conference was staged at Gullen Mall, near the WSU Student Center.

In Michigan, the penalty for providing alcohol to a minor can be $1,000 in fines, up to 90 days in jail and legal fees of $5,000 or more, but broader consequences could include lost wages, forfeited scholarships and even expulsion from college.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, underage drinking increases the likelihood for unwanted pregnancies, personal safety issues, sexual assault, suicides and traffic crashes. Such outcomes are tracked in Michigan by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, with a reported 745 teen pregnancies linked to underage drinking in 2013 and 442,000 disorderly conduct crimes in 2012.  On Michigan roads, the rate of alcohol–related traffic crashes is greater for drivers ages 16 to 20 than for drivers age 21 and older.

Colonel Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the Michigan State Police, urges young people to avoid jeopardizing their future by supplying alcohol to minors. “Many young people are unaware of the laws and penalties for supplying alcohol to underage peers,” Etue stated.  “Because it is important to the Michigan State Police to reduce underage drinking, drunk driving and alcohol-related traffic crashes, our troopers will take enforcement action for this and other alcohol offenses.”

National statistics show that more than one third of young adults aged 18-25 are binge alcohol users and about 1 in 10 are heavy alcohol users. (Source: 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health) Such data is the reason this public awareness campaign is targeting college campuses this fall.

“Keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors is one of our greatest challenges,” Johnson said.  “In 2003, the Secretary of State’s office began issuing vertical driver’s licenses for those under 21 to clearly represent their underage status. Since then, the state has seen a steady decline in the sale of alcohol to minors from convenience stores, bars and clubs.”

That trend also reflects the concerted efforts of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) to prevent minors from obtaining alcohol through Michigan businesses.

“We’re working every day to ensure no licensee of this state illegally sells alcohol – directly or indirectly – to anyone under the age of 21,” said MLCC Chairman Andrew Deloney, a key partner in the “21 to Buy, Not Supply” campaign. “We do that through education, training, and a thorough enforcement of Michigan’s liquor laws.”

The “21 to Buy, Not Supply” college campus campaign is a year-long marketing effort that includes traditional media and electronic media, social media, video messages in Secretary of State offices, posters, future window clings for alcohol retailers, and an audio PSA played in Kroger stores statewide.

“College students are just starting out on the great adventure that is life,” Johnson said. “The ‘21 to Buy, Not Supply’ coalition wants to help ensure that these young people make the most of the opportunities they have and avoid ill-advised and illegal acts that can ruin their futures before they even get started.”

How Safe is Abortion?

Is abortion a “safe” procedure? Is it safer than childbirth, as abortion supporters often claim? We honestly don’t know.

Cree Erwin, a 24-year-old resident of Battle Creek, was found dead by her mother on July 4. She died several days after having an abortion. It was recently confirmed that Erwin had her abortion at the Planned Parenthood facility in Kalamazoo. Planned Parenthood has yet to release a statement.

Details from Erwin’s autopsy have yet to be revealed, but given her trip to the hospital a day before her death to address severe abdominal pain, all available evidence points to complications from the abortion being the cause of her death.

Abortion has not only claimed the life of Erwin and her child, but it has left her one-year-old son without a mother, and left a gaping hole in the Erwin family. Was Erwin properly informed of the risks an abortion can pose?

Michigan law does require abortion businesses to provide women with information about potential complications, but abortion supporters frequently cite the safety of abortion in media and popular culture. The numbers used to back those claims come from the Centers for Disease Control. Are those numbers accurate?

As far as numbers from Michigan, they aren’t accurate at all. Michigan’s annual abortion statistics have absurdly low complication rates, likely because the abortionist is the one responsible for reporting complications. Before we updated our abortion clinics regulations in 2012, we know of at least one abortionist who wasn’t even reporting the abortions he performed. Even if an abortionist wanted to report complications, they are not the women’s doctors or part of their care team. There is no long-term follow-up. Their “patients” are complete strangers to them, often not even talking with them before or after the abortion.

Tamia Russell was 15 years old in 2004 when she died from taking an abortion pill. The autopsy indicated “uterine infarction with sepsis due to status second trimester abortion.” If you look up Michigan’s abortion statistics from 2004, you’ll notice only 12 reported complications and zero patient deaths. Will the death of Cree Erwin make the state’s 2016 abortion report?

Before her death Planned Parenthood said they want to sue the state of Michigan to end most oversight and inspections of abortion clinics. They want to return to the days where women like Tamia Russell and Cree Erwin aren’t given the dignity of even being mentioned as statistics in a report.

September in West Michigan

Submitted by West Michigan Tourist Association
media@wmta.org

What’s Included This Month

September kicks off fall in West Michigan! Labor Day marks the unofficial last day of summer on September 5th with an extended weekend of fun. There’s plenty of celebration to be had across the state so make sure that you get out during this last hurrah of summer!

If you’re looking for a unique stay, why not check out one of the local Bed & Breakfasts? Wake up in your home away from home to the smell of a freshly cooked meal!

Get in the fall spirit by Celebrating the Harvest! Harvest season in West Michigan brings delicious fruits and vegetables, harvest-centric events and restaurants using fresh ingredients.

Lastly, West Michigan is home to renowned Spirits and Distilleries. Whiskey, vodka, gin and more are being created in our own backyards using local ingredients. This is the perfect time to visit your go-to distillery, or find a new favorite.

Don’t forget to check out our free West Michigan Guide and Lighthouse Map to help plan your trip, and enter for a chance to win a two night weekend stay in a Lakeview Corner Room from Weathervane Inn!

West Michigan Ideas
Let us inspire your next trip or outing to one of these West Michigan locations:

•    C2C Gallery, Grand Haven
•    Michigan Craft Distillers, Statewide
•    Michigan Irish Music Festival, Muskegon
•    Vintage Views, Statewide
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Muskegon Canine Community Celebrates First Public Dog Park Sept. 26

Submitted by Cece Riley, Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce

MUSKEGON, MI – The coalition raising funds, designing and building a Downtown Muskegon Dog Park are having a concluding community gathering to celebrate the generous donation of PetSafe to the effort to raise more than $100,000 for Muskegon County’s first public off-leash park.

PetSafe, community leaders, project partners, donors and area dog lovers – and their dogs – will gather Monday Sept. 26 from 6-8 p.m. at the planned dog park site at Shoreline Drive and West Western Avenue owned by Muskegon County and known as the former Carpenter Brothers site. The park will be built next year at 793 W. Western.

Watch mUSkeGOn Dogs Go fundraising campaign will conclude Sept. 30. With the significant $25,000 national grant from PetSafe Bark for Your Park program, the local crowdfunding effort is expected to reach and surpass the $50,000 goal by the end of the month. Additional funds will go for additional park features and a maintenance fund.

With $50,000 raised, the Downtown Muskegon Dog Park will receive a Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Michigan House Development Authority $50,000 grant from the state’s Public Spaces Community Places Crowdfunding initiative. (https://www.patronicity.com/project/downtown_muskegon_dog_park)

PetSafe officials – a national leader in the development of pet behavioral, containment and lifestyle products – will be in Muskegon to present local officials one of the Knoxville, Tenn.-based company’s Bark for Your Park awards for $25,000.

On the future site of the Downtown Muskegon Dog Park, PetSafe activities will be led by national dog trainer and pet expert Harrison Forbes. There will be a doggy photo booth, Playcore agility equipment, opportunities to adopt Pound Buddies dog shelter pets, the ability to create a dog outfit for a Pawject Runway event and have a dog portrait done by a local artist. There will be plenty of giveaways and an opportunity to engage Forbes on all sorts of canine topics.

The Downtown Muskegon Dog Park is being developed by initial partners Downtown Muskegon Now, Muskegon County, city of Muskegon, Community Foundation for Muskegon County and Baker College’s Vet Tech program. Others have joined the effort such as the Greater Muskegon Kennel Club, Watermark Center, Friends of Muskegon Dog Beach and Pound Buddies, among others.

Muskegon County Calendar of Events 09/19/16-09/26/16

Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau

A Murder is Announced
September 16 – October 1

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September 16 – October 1, the Muskegon Civic Theatre invites you to the Beardsley Theater for “A Murder is Announced!”  An announcement in the local paper states the time and place when a murder is to occur in Miss Blacklock’s Victorian house.  What follows is a classic Agatha Christie puzzle of mixed motives, concealed identities, a second death, a determined Inspector grimly following the twists and turns, and the iconic sleuth Miss Marple on hand to solve the mystery. Tickets are $20 & $22.  For more information, visit www.frauenthal.org.

A Call to Artists! Register Now for Dias de los Muertos
September 14 @ 10:00 am – September 27 @ 8:00 pm

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Muskegon Community Arts and the Red Lotus Gallery in the Century Club are putting out a call to artists to register now for “Dias de los Muertos”, to honor those who have passed. Submit your creation of artwork or bring in pictures of your loved ones who have passed. A wall will be created to pay homage to these people in your life who have inspired you. Your submissions are due by September 27 before 5:30pm to enter this event. To obtain a submission form, visit www.muskegonca.org. There is a small fee of $5-$10 for your piece of artwork. The open house for this event will be held on October 7 from 6:00-8:00pm. The Display Wall can be viewed throughout the month of October.

Gettysburg Lecture Series
September 19, 26 and October 3 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

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September 12, 19, 26 and October 3 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, come to the Gettysburg Lecture Series at the Lakeshore Museum Center.  Muskegon Community College and the Museum are sponsoring a four-part lecture series which precedes a four-day Gettysburg Guided Tour.  The cost of the series is $30 for Museum members and $35 for non-members, or $10 per lecture.  The cost of the trip is $485.  Registration is requested for the lecture.  For more information, visit www.lakeshoremuseum.org.

Frauenthal Center Celebration
September 20 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

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Tuesday, September 20 from 5:30-8:30pm, celebrate Muskegon’s vibrant culture at the Frauenthal Center Celebration.  Everyone is invited to experience a free evening of dynamic entertainment featuring live entertainment, light refreshments and free trolley service from the downtown parking lots!  Browse their venues, meet new friends and be part of something truly spectacular in the heart of downtown Muskegon!  For more information, visit www.frauenthal.org/celebration.

Preserving the Harvest
September 20 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

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Tuesday, September 20 from 6:30-8:00pm, come to Kitchen 242 inside the Muskegon Farmers’ Market for the cooking class, “Preserving the Harvest!”  Nothing says “home” like gathering around the stove together to learn about canning and freezing.  Join them to share recipes, techniques and stories while making new memories to share of your own.  To register call 231-728-3117 or e-mail farmedu@communityencompass.org.

We Are Stars
Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 7:00 pm

There’s a new show at the Carr-Fles Planetarium!  “We Are Stars” is a 35-minute, family-friendly adventure that that spans the billions of years between the Big Bang and modern day, and follows the thread that connects us all to those early times through the atoms from which our bodies are formed.  Where did they come from?  How did they get here?  And is it true that we really are all made of stars?  The science content is most appropriate for ages 11 and up; however, the entrancing animation and award-winning soundtrack will draw all ages into the magical universe created within this incredible show.  No reservations are needed for this FREE program, which runs August 23 – October 27 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00pm (doors open by 6:45), and includes a brief demonstration of the current night sky.  The planetarium is in room 135 of Muskegon Community College (221 S. Quarterline Rd, Muskegon).  For more information, or to schedule a private show for groups of 15-44, please call (231) 777-0289 or email tamera.owens@muskegoncc.edu.

13th Annual Grape Escape
September 21 @ 6:00 pm

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The Muskegon Rotary Club’s 13th Annual Grape Escape, the region’s premier wine, craft beer, and food tasting event, is happening Wednesday, September 21 at 6:00pm at Bella Maria’s Ristorante and Event Center!

This year’s non-profit partner is Muskegon Area Promise, and proceeds from the event will support the Promise. The Muskegon Area Promise unprecedented commitment to the young people of our community, guaranteeing that if they work hard they will be able to earn at least a two-year college degree tuition-free. Additional proceeds from the Grape Escape will help fund other Muskegon-area Rotary projects.

The annual Grape Escape tasting event features wines from over a dozen Michigan wineries, along with microbrews crafted in Michigan and local Muskegon County breweries including Pigeon Hill, Unruly and Fetch. Guests will also enjoy delicious food from hometown restaurants.  Unique Silent Auction items donated by local merchants will go to the highest bidders.

Tickets for Grape Escape are $40.00 per person. For your convenience, tickets may be purchased online through the Muskegon Rotary Club’s Facebook page (facebook.com/muskegonrotary),  Muskegon Rotary Grape Escape Facebook page (facebook.com/rotarygrapeescape), or on the club’s website at www.muskegonrotary.org

All-Access Tour at the Hackley & Hume Historic Site
September 22

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September 22, visitors will have an opportunity to view areas of the Hackley & Hume Historic Site that are not normally included in the tour of the lumber barns homes.  See the basements, attics and porches for a whole new perspective of Muskegon’s most well-known mansions.  There will be two sessions of the tour: 5:00 – 6:30pm and 7:30 – 8:30pm. The cost of the All-Access Tour is $15 for Museum members and $20 for non-members.  Pre-registration is required due to limited group size.  For more information, call 231-722-7578. 

Art & a Glass: Thursday Happy Hour at the MMA
September 22 @ 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Every Thursday from 4:00-8:00pm you’re invited to the Muskegon Museum of Art for “Art & a Glass!” Bring your friends to a museum-style happy hour! Take a break and enjoy the art with a glass of wine or a great craft brew. General admission is free Thursday evenings from 4:00 to 8:00 pm so take advantage of the opportunity to discover your Museum at no cost. There will be a cash bar. You must be 21 or older to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. For more information call 231-720-2570.

Upgrade Your Basic Sandwiches with Chef Jamie
September 22 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

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Thursday, September 22, 2016: Upgrade Your Basic Sandwiches with Chef Jamie 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Chef Jamie will share a few of the gourmet sandwich recipes that were popular at Mia and Grace. Utilize breads made from local Michigan grains, local meat and tasty, unexpected ingredients to upgrade the basic sandwich. Cost $30.

Go to www.eventbrite.com and search on Muskegon Farmers Market and all currently scheduled classes will pop up. Also subscribe to our Kitchen 242 Facebook Events Page to receive notification when new culinary events are added.

Playhouse: A Centennial Celebration Show
September 22 @ 7:30 pm – September 24 @ 7:30 pm

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September 22-24 at 7:30pm, the Howmet Playhouse Presents “Playhouse: A Centennial Celebration Show,” an original play written by Kimberly Harsch & Bill Iddings.  Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  The show features performances by Ruth & Max Bloomquist, Tommy Foster, local choirs, White Lake Dramatic Club Alumni, students from Whitehall & Montague schools, White Lake Youth Theatre performers and more!  For more information, call 231-894-4048.

Venison Canning
September 23 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Experience a hands-on adventure into history through heirloom culinary and lifestyle activities at Bygone Basics Culinary School!  Deer hunting season is here!  Friday, September 23 at 5:30pm, join Valerie for a class on how to safely pressure can venison and other meats from a USDA/Department of Agriculture certified instructor.  You’ll also discover all of the uses for canned meat such as pulled ‘pork” sandwiches, soups, stews, gravy and more.  For more information, call 231-740-4065.

Kid’s Impromptu with Chef Char
September 24 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am

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Saturday, September 24th – Kid’s Impromptu with Chef Char 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Shop the market with Chef Char to pick out ingredients that are in season. Come back to the kitchen with fresh, local ingredients and then combine the market finds with basic pantry items to make creative, tasty dishes. Shop, prepare and eat locally sourced, fresh food. Ages: 7-13. Cost $25.

Go to www.eventbrite.com and search on Muskegon Farmers Market and all currently scheduled classes will pop up. Also subscribe to our Kitchen 242 Facebook Events Page to receive notification when new culinary events are added.

Fall Harvest Fundraiser at Michigan’s Heritage Park
September 24 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

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September 24 from 9:00am – 4:00pm, come to the Fall Harvest Fundraiser at Michigan’s Heritage Park!  This daylong event includes an interactive Pancake Breakfast with Chris Cakes from 9:00am to Noon and horse-drawn wagon rides from 11:00am to 4:00pm.  The day also features a variety of games including pumpkin bowling, a straw bale maze and candy coral.  There will be hands-on demonstrations at six sites along the trail.  Morning admission (9:00am to Noon) includes all activities and the Pancake Breakfast: $17 adults and teens, $15 for 65 and older, $12 for 2 to 12, and $7 members.  Afternoon admission (Noon to 4:00pm) $12 adults and teens, $10 for 65 and older, $7 for 2 to 12, and $2 members. For more information, visit www.lakeshoremuseum.org.

2016 Walk to End Alzheimer’s
September 24 @ 9:30 am

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September 24, you’re invited to Heritage Landing for the 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer’s!  Walk the 1 mile or the 3 mile route.  All funds raised will further the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Registration at 9:30am
Ceremony at 10:15am
Walk at 10:30am
Closing Ceremony 11:30am

For more information visit the website below or contact Elizabeth Donnelly-Johnson at 231-780-1922 or e-mail ejohnson@alz.org.

Muskegon Farmers’ Market Harvest Festival
September 24 @ 10:00 am

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The Muskegon Farmers Market will hold its annual Harvest Fest on Saturday September_24 from 10:00am – 1:00pm with music giveaways food samples and crafts for sale! Regular market hours will be the same from 6:00am – 3:00pm. For more information call 231-722-3251.

Retro Expo
September 25

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Sunday, September 25, you’re invited to the Muskegon Farmers’ Market for the “Retro Expo!”  Enjoy an outdoor vintage market filled with vendors selling retro goods and up-cycled items.  It’s more than a flea market, it’s a nostalgic shopping experience.  For more information, call 231-722-3251.

Fall Color Scenic Cruise Aboard the Port City Princess
September 25 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Sundays, September 11 – October 16 from 2:00-3:30pm, enjoy an explosion of autumn colors with gorgeous lake reflections on “Color Tour Cruises” aboard the Port City Princess!  The cost is $25.  For reservations or more information, call 231-728-8387.

Fall Color and Sunset Tour Aboard the Port City Princess
September 25 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Sundays, September 11 – October 16 from 7:00-9:00pm, come aboard the Port City Princess for the Fall Color and Sunset Tour!  This is a wonderful way to see the explosion of autumn colors with gorgeous lake reflections.  The cost is $35.  For more information or to make reservations, call 231-728-8387.

Jacks Classic Golf Outing
September 26

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The Muskegon Lumberjacks would like to invite you to participate in their Jacks Classic Golf Outing on September 26 at Muskegon Country Club!  Join the Muskegon Lumberjacks  Players and Staff as they get set to bring in the 2016-2017 Regular Season. The Muskegon Lumberjacks are looking for teams to compete as well as local companies to partner with for the major event.  Please fill out your team registration form with the link below and scan the document to Todd Robinson at trobinson@muskegonlumberjacks.com.  If you cannot play in the outing, they invite you to join them for dinner following the round of golf for only $50. Please contact Sam Palmer for dinner tickets at spalmer@muskegonlumberjacks.com or call him at 248-508-0369.

Event Details:

  • 10:30am Registration and Breakfast
  • 12:00pm Shotgun Start and Lunch at the Turn
  • 5:30 Cocktails and Meet & Greet
  • 6:30 Dinner, Raffles and Auctions

Frauenthal Center Announces New Managing Director

Muskegon, MI — The historic Frauenthal Center, located in downtown Muskegon, has hired West Michigan arts professional, Ricki L. Levine, to serve as its new managing director.
“We are delighted to welcome Ricki to the Frauenthal Center,” said Chris McGuigan, president/CEO, of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFMC). “As we launch a new year and a refreshed vision for the Center, we are confident that Ricki’s leadership will strengthen the team and enlarge the Center’s presence in West Michigan.”

The Community Foundation for Muskegon County owns the Frauenthal Center and provides the Center with annual grant support as part of its community investment and commitment to the arts.

Levine brings a wealth of arts management experience to the Frauenthal Center position. She served as the development director of St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids where she managed a $5.5 million capital campaign and as the managing director of the professional Mason Street Warehouse theater in Saugatuck where she was responsible for theater operations, development, advertising and marketing.

“I am so pleased to join the dynamic and historic Frauenthal Center,” said Levine. “There are so many innovative things going on in Muskegon and being able to engage the community and generate economic growth through the diverse programs of the Frauenthal Center is very exciting.”

Open Letter to Fruitport Community regarding FCS Bond Proposal

Fruitport Community Schools and the Facilities Committee is requesting a bond proposal to do a major renovation to the current High School and minor renovations to all other school buildings based on their study of our current facility needs.  They have made these determinations based on “community sentiment.”  Their objective was to develop a plan that would: 1.  Keep the high school on the main campus, 2.  Be fiscally responsible, 3.  Build a larger auditorium, 4.  Maintain safety and security, and 5.  Improve traffic flow to buildings.

FCS has been operating at a deficit since 2009.  This fact is never mentioned in the Committees Assessment or in the supporting campaign.  The number one priority of the Master Plan should have been how to eliminate the continuous operating budget deficit.  The current Master Plan reached by the administration and Facilities Committee does absolutely nothing to deal with this deficit.  With state money and the economy always in flux, the district needs to be proactive in dealing with future budgets.  A legitimate Master Plan would address how to use new construction, renovations, and consolidation of services to eliminate the budget shortfall.  The current plan essentially demolishes and rebuilds every building in the district over the next FIFTY years.  It would spend multi-millions of dollars and leave us with the same number of buildings on the same number of campuses, requiring the same amount of administrators, teachers, maintenance staff, bus drivers, and needing the same amount of building maintenance, landscaping, and parking lot maintenance.  I don’t know of any other district whose plan is to demolish and rebuild every building in their district.  It doesn’t sound fiscally responsible to me.

I have devised a Master Plan Alternative that would save the tax payers of Fruitport millions of dollars in construction and eliminate the deficit in a more fiscally responsible manner.  While I agree that our facilities are inferior to those of neighboring districts, I feel that prospective residents look at test scores more than facilities to determine a school district to send their children.  If we can consolidate our district down to one campus/three buildings with one bond proposal, we can cut unnecessary spending so that money can be spent more directly on education and hopefully raise the test scores to the level of our neighboring districts.  This would attract more residents and increase the tax base so that we can more easily afford to build newer facilities in the future.  There are many proposed housing developments that have recently been announced and of course the proposed casino that could provide a major boost to the tax base in the FUTURE.  Unfortunately they have not been built so it is too soon to build a shiny new toy like the high school.

My plan is to build an addition onto the back of the Middle School to relocate all 3rd5th grades and move all preK-2nd grades to Edgewood.  This would close Beach and Shettler so that no more money would need to be spent on those aging buildings.  It would also bring all grades to the main campus and give the school district more staffing flexibility for each grade.  This step alone should eliminate the spending deficit.  The high school would get an arts wing featuring a new auditorium and classrooms to give our district an appropriate sized theater and allow us to eliminate the costly portable classrooms located by the high school.

In 2028, when the current bonds expire, we could move on to Phase Two of my Master Plan.  By then most of the housing developments should be built and hopefully more commercial development such as the casino will be in operation.  Phase Two consists of building the rest of the new High School.  This includes a new public Library, community fitness center, gymnasiums, kitchen/commons area and remaining classrooms.  The 9-12th grades would move into the new High School, the 6-8th grades would move into the old portion of the High School which becomes Fruitport Middle School.  All other grades would move into the Middle School which would become Fruitport Elementary School.  Then Edgewood and the FCS/Adult Ed building would be demolished to make room for a large parking lot for the new High School.

As you can see, there is no need to take fifty years to implement a fiscally responsible Master Plan.  If you would like to read the details of my plan, including diagrams, please go to my Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/FruitportMasterPlanAlternative

Thank you for your attention,
Concerned Tax Payer
Mike McCallum

The Best of the Best

To the Editor:
We have elected or hired the most qualified persons to fill our most important position throughout our community. Think of our mayor, city manager, his most important HR Department and his entire staff. Our outstanding police and fire personnel, the men and women who make up our parks, maintenance works, library, museums and utilities; our superintendent of schools, his principals, and his entire staff of teachers, coaches and support personnel.
Several hundred in all. Each and every one elected or hired because they met the highest standards that qualified them for the position sought.
Not one, not a single person would have been elected or hired if he or she had a proven history of lying, or a history of questionable activity. Simply put, if anyone of the above mentioned had or is being investigated and questioned by the FBI or a panel of appointed government investigators, they would not have been hired. Especially, if it was proven that they had lied under oath and had a history of covering up their lying and connection with criminal activity.
Hillary Clinton has failed time and again to prove she is qualified to lead this nation.
Does Hillary have a very serious neurological degeneration health problem? Is Hillary exhibiting early signs of Parkinson’s disease? Will Hillary’s campaign be forced into making a big announcement soon regarding her medical condition, or at this point what difference does it make?

Bob DeHare
Grand Haven Township

Editorial: November School Bond Issue

The school wants the taxpayers to pay over 40 million dollars to tear down part of the high school and rebuild it differently.

It doesn’t make sense to me and reminds me of other recent millage efforts put forward by the administration’s hand picked committee.

Don’t be deluded into believing that this millage will give your child a better education. New buildings do not translate to better education. Some of the schools with the oldest buildings (North Muskegon and Catholic Central) provide very good education. Muskegon Heights with some of the newest buildings don’t do as good.

They are saying that this is for Fruitport’s future. What does that mean? More taxes for the future? It seems people representing education would be able to make a statement that could be understood.

The Fruitport School district has plenty of issues and needs attempting to educate our kids, but I doubt that tearing down buildings made out of cement and steel and rebuilding into a new configuration will address most, if any, of the challenges.

Why the school board members and some supporters from the public go along with these tax increases for projects that will have little affect on the education our children get, is difficult for me to understand.

I know and could name some of these people and no way would they tear down their home or business and build another one without a very good reason, yet they want the taxpayers to do that with the school buildings.

We have a low school millage rate now because concerned citizens put an effort forward to stop some of the previous foolish bond issues. It’s a credit to our citizens who became involved and made the effort and financial sacrifice. Why not keep our taxes as low as we can unless there is good reason not to? And to vote for a permanent millage over 40 times the amount needed to replace a few buses is another example of the flawed reasoning for this tax proposal.

Letter to the Editor – School Millage

Dear Mr. Cooper,

I recently spoke briefly with you at the seniors dinner during Old Fashioned Days. I talked with you about the upcoming school millage, and asked you some questions about it. You were honest to say you didn’t know a whole lot about it at this time. You also said that your paper does not come out as often as it did before and that you probably would not have much information to give to the voters before the election. My concern that I expressed to you was that I and other voters would not have enough information about the millage before we vote. I sometimes get information in the mail from the school but that information only tells me why I should vote yes for the millage. By the way I no longer get the chronicle paper. I want to say that I am not a no voter on all millages because I have voted yes on school millages in the past. But I am concerned that I will not get all the information I need about this millage before I vote. I would like to get both sides, the pros and cons, before I have to decide. My daughter found some information on the internet from the school. She said the millage rate will more than double our current rate from 3 mills to 7 mills. This will more than double my taxes. She said the amount will be about 50 million dollars for a new high school and some other things. She also said that the new 7 mill rate will never go down again. It will always be at least 7 mills or more. I understand the old high school will be torn down. Is this really necessary? There are so many things about this election that I do not understand. Will the school be having meetings like they did before? When will they be? How long before the elections? How will the school get information about the meetings to the voters? Your paper used to give us lots of information about the school millages in the past. I hope you will do the same this time. You suggested that I write this letter to your paper to let others know that might have similar concerns. I told you that I did not wish to sign my name because of the reasons I told you. I have thought about it some  more and still think I should not sign my name. I do not know if you will print this without my name. I hope you will. Thank you again for your courtesy in taking time to talk with me during the seniors dinner.

–Yours truly (name withheld)

Peas and Edible Pea Pods are Great Fresh or Preserved

Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot nine days old.
Some like it hot, some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot, nine days old.

Mother Goose is cited as the author of Pease Porridge Hot but that is not known for sure. Until I found this poem on line I thought the poem was written using the word peas not pease. Pease means porridge made from peas. When this poem was written many years ago the word pease was treated as a mass noun which simply means more than one pea.

Peas like the cool weather and are sheltered inside pea pods.  Pea pods are botanically a fruit because they contain seeds. There are lots of kinds of peas. Peas with edible pea pods include sugar, Chinese and snow peas. Snow peas, also known as sugar peas, have edible flat pods with small peas inside them. Snap peas also have edible pods but they have full-size peas in them. Then there are garden peas. The pods of garden peas, or sweet peas, are not eaten.

For best quality and to preserve nutrients, only preserve what you and your family can eat in one year. When picking peas, or purchasing them, pick pea pods that are filled with young, tender peas.

To successfully freeze peas they need to be blanched. Water blanching is best for fresh peas. Blanching is simply scalding any vegetable in boiling water to stop the enzyme action that causes loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching also cleans the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and retard the loss of vitamins.

Blanch peas for 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes then place them in ice water for 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes. The rule of thumb when blanching is that you put the vegetable in ice water for the same amount of time that you blanched it. The next step is to dry the peas, laying them on a clean towel and pat dry. Then lay them on a tray and put them in the freezer. After a few hours they are ready to be packed into freezer bags or boxes, labeled with content and date and put in the freezer.

Correct blanching times are critical to ending up with a high quality product. Not blanching vegetables long enough stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching at all. Over blanching causes loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals. Always refer to up to date research based information when preserving such as updated Ball Blue Books, So Easy to Preserve, the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving and Extension bulletins.

Michigan Fresh  is found on the Michigan State University Extension  website and has many fact sheets on fruits and vegetables that include recommended varieties, storage, food safety and preserving techniques.

Ask Dr. Universe – Plant Sunburns

Why don’t plants get sunburns? – Elijah, 5, Seattle, Wash.

Dear Elijah,

That’s a great observation. For as much time as plants spend outside in the sun, we really don’t see too many with a sunburn.

I decided to take your burning question to my friend Cynthia Gleason. She’s a plant scientist at Washington State University and knows a lot about plant defense.

Plants actually make their own kind of sun block, she said. It helps protect them from the sun’s intense ultraviolet rays.

We can’t see ultraviolet light, but we think bees can see it. This light helps bees find flowers so they can pollinate the plants and drink their nectar. Ultraviolet light might be useful for buzzing bees, but too much ultraviolet light can do some serious damage to plants.

“Unlike humans, plants can’t just move into the shade or put on a hat when the sun gets too intense,” Gleason explained. “Of course, plants also can’t slather on sunscreen.”

As you may remember from last week’s question, plants need sun to make their own food, as well as the oxygen we all breathe.

Plants face an interesting challenge because they need sun, Gleason said, but not too much sun. Otherwise, they might shrivel up, turn yellow, or even die.

For a long time, scientists weren’t really sure how plants avoided getting burnt to a crisp. But a few years ago, a group of researchers investigated a science question very similar to yours.

They found that when plants get too stressed out from the sun, they start to make their own kind of sun block. It isn’t like the sunscreen that humans squeeze out of a bottle or spray on. But like sunscreen humans use, it blocks the ultraviolet light.

The plant’s sun block is actually a combination of special molecules that form in the plant’s tissue. These molecules join together to create a compound that blocks the ultraviolet light. But at the same time, these compounds still allow other kinds of sunlight to pass through. That way, the plant can still make its own food—without turning into a lobster.

Plants aren’t the only living things that make their own concoction of chemicals to stay safe in the sun either. Some zebra fish create a compound that protects them from the sun, too. Even hippos make a kind of orange sweat that helps protect them from ultraviolet rays.

The sun is not only good for plants, but also for us. It gives us Vitamin D that our bodies use to help our bones stay strong. Thankfully for humans, chemists have invented sunscreen to keep you safe from the sun’s rays while exploring outside. And luckily for us cats and other critters, we can usually find a nice shady tree.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe
Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Send your question to Dr.Universe@wsu.edu or read more at AskDrUniverse.wsu.edu.

Ottawa County Website Ranks Seventh Nationwide Among Government Websites

The Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties have announced the winners of the 2016 Digital Counties Survey, naming miOttawa.org among the leading government websites in the country. The annual survey recognizes the best technology practices among U.S. counties, including initiatives that save tax dollars through newfound efficiencies; boost transparency, cybersecurity and engagement; or innovate through unique and exciting projects. Ottawa County earned the seventh spot in the nation compared to counties of similar size. Ottawa has made the top ten on the national list during seven of the past eight years.

“It is an honor to be recognized nationally. Citizens expect more from a website than information and miOttawa.org strives to deliver. We continue to grow our online services, ” said Shannon Felgner, Ottawa County’s Communication Manager. “We also added email subscription services as a way to push information to residents. To date, 18,297 people are subscribed to receive county news via email.” May 2016’s citizen survey found support for Ottawa’s online presence as well:

• 78% of citizens who had visited miOttawa.org offered a positive assessment
• When asked, citizens aged 18-49 rated miOttawa.org as their preferred source of county government information
• 67% of this age group also agreed that they would prefer doing business online versus visiting an office

“Digital counties have evolved to recognize the value of technology, empower their tech leaders and use new ideas to make life better for everyone who lives and does business in the county,” said Todd Sander, Center for Digital Government Executive Director. “The Center for Digital Government congratulates this year’s winners for their work to innovate, improve transparency and proactively address citizen demands and expectations.”

“Modern technology allows counties across the country to innovate, providing citizens with smarter, more cost-effective services,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. “The Digital Counties Survey recognizes county innovations that truly benefit our communities and, by extension, America.”

Ottawa County wasn’t the only Michigan winner. Allegan County took first in its population division and Oakland County was fifth among peer counties in the U.S. For a list of all the winners, visit govtech.com.

250,000-499,999 Population Category

1. Sonoma County, CA
2. Chesterfield County, VA
3. Dakota County, MN
4. Loudoun County, VA
5. Cumberland County, NC & Dutchess County, NY
6. Bell County, TX
7. Ottawa County, MI & Leon County, FL
8. County of Santa Cruz, CA
9. Douglas County, CO
10. Dauphin County, PA & Richland County, SC

Don’t Just Watch Us Go…

Business is on the rise and you can help!

Research shows that beautification of a property or business not only improves your image to attract and retain customers, it can lower neighborhood crime by as much as 35%!

Watch Muskegon Clean

Here is a check list to help you and your staff maintain an attractive business!
First, provide your staff with the following tools.  Plastic gloves, garbage bags or paper recycling bags, broom, dust pan, window cleaner, cleaning rags, paper towel, power washer if possible.

• Wearing Plastic gloves, have at least two individuals circle your property to pick up garbage or items that should  be thrown away or recycled
• Sweep up small items like cigarette butts
• Power wash sidewalks if possible or use broom brush and soapy water at entryways
• Wash outside windows
• Freshen up flower pots and ground cover
• Check signage and banners to make sure they are in good condition
• Wearing work gloves, pull out weeds
• Have grass mowed routinely
• Review paint condition. Plan to repaint as needed
• Reward the employees who help you with these important responsibilities.

If you have other creative ideas about how to maintain an attractive business, please send them our way.

If you need professional services in this area, please review the chamber directory and always buy local whenever possible.

CLICK HERE for more information about the beautification pillar of this Watch Muskegon campaign

Have questions about the campaign?
Contact us at any time – 231.722.3751, email us here, find us on Facebook, or visit our website.

Protecting Lakes

Aquatic invasive species crowd out native species, disrupt lake ecosystems, and interfere with boating, fishing, and other recreation.  Boaters can unknowingly transfer invasive species and fish diseases, such as viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), to new waters when they don’t clean boats, trailers, and other recreational equipment.  To prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and protect Michigan’s aquatic resources, boaters, anglers, and others enjoying Michigan’s waters are required to:

• Remove aquatic plants from boats, boating equipment, and boat trailers before launching a boat.
• Drain live wells, bilges, and all water from boats before leaving a boating access site.
• Dispose of unused bait in the trash.  Do not release bait into the water.
• Never transfer fish to water bodies other than where they were caught.

For more information about aquatic invasive species in Michigan can visit: www.michigan.gov/InvasiveSpecies

Ask Dr. Universe – Oceans

What is the deepest spot in the ocean? -Lawrence, 11, Philippines 

Dear Lawrence,

Deep underwater, not too far from Guam, lies a crescent-shaped canyon called the Mariana Trench. It is home to the deepest known spot in the ocean: The Challenger Deep.

That’s what I found out from my friend Ray Lee. He teaches biology at Washington State University and studies animals that live in the deep sea.

A few explorers have made the nearly seven-mile journey to the Challenger Deep. Even though us cats aren’t big fans of water, I can imagine what it would be like to go there. We would have to go in a specially designed underwater vehicle, and we’d go through several different ocean zones along the way.

First, we’d pass through the Sunlight Zone. These are the brightest waters and we might see some fish, turtles, jellyfish, or stingrays swimming along.

We’d then pass through a part of the ocean called the Twilight Zone. Everything around us would start to get darker and darker. We might even see some critters making their own light, or bioluminescence, in the dark.

Next we’d pass through a part of the ocean called the Abyssal Zone. No sunlight would be able to reach us here. There would be no plants. The living conditions would be extreme, too. We might see extremely hot water from deep in the Earth erupting from chimney-like vents.

Lee is really curious about these vents and the creatures that are able to live in such extreme conditions. One of his favorite parts of his job is building instruments and devices that help us investigate these kinds of deep-sea environments.

The ocean can be a tricky place to study. It’s not only really dark, but the deeper you go, the greater the pressure of water pushing down on you. But Lee likes the challenge of exploring the mysterious deep.

“We are always interested in the unknown,” Lee said. “And the ocean has perhaps more things that are unknown than any other environment.”

Even deeper than the Abyssal zone is the Hadal Zone. This is where we find deep ocean trenches—and the Challenger Deep. I found out it wasn’t until pretty recently that scientists were able to go explore it.

James Cameron, an explorer and filmmaker known for “Titanic” and “Avatar,” piloted a one-man trip down to the Challenger Deep a few years ago. Before that, oceanographers Jaques Piccard and Don Walsh went to investigate.

They had to use special vehicles and equipment to reach these deep waters. Scientists have even set up underwater cameras that help us look at what life is like there. In the Hadal Zone, there are big mountains rising from the floor and possibly more sea vents. Scientists are learning about some of the creatures like sea cucumbers and really small crustaceans that call this part of our world home.

There is so much more to explore, Lawrence. Maybe one day, you’ll help us discover even more about our deep, vast oceans.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Send your question to Dr.Universe@wsu.edu or vote in this week’s reader poll at AskDrUniverse.wsu.edu.

National Study Praises Michigan Elections

Pew Center calls state consistent ‘high performer’

LANSING, Mich. – The Pew Center, a nationally recognized research organization, today praised Michigan’s elections systems as a “high performer” based on multiple objective measures of election performance, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced.

“It’s no secret that Michigan has an excellent elections system and that’s thanks to all of the hard work of our state’s county, city and township election officials,” Johnson said. “But this national praise shouldn’t be a reason to stop improving. We can make Michigan the best by passing full online voter registration and secure absentee voting in the Legislature.”

Michigan would have scored even higher if two key reforms proposed by Johnson gained the support of the Legislature. Johnson continues to work with lawmakers to approve expanded secure online voter registration and allowing voters to cast an absentee ballot without having to mark a reason if they show identification at the clerk’s office.

Michigan received partial credit for online voter registration because already residents who are registered to vote in the state can update their voter registration address online at www.ExpressSOS.com.

Johnson thanked lawmakers for approving post-election audits, which boosted Michigan’s score. She called for the audits shortly after taking office in 2011 as a way to ensure local election officials are following state law and best practices when administering local elections. More than 1,000 audits have taken place.

Pew election researchers in particular complimented Michigan for data completeness, reducing the number of reported absentee ballot issues and for having more ballots from military and overseas voters returned and accepted.

The Pew study calculated and averaged a state’s overall performance by measuring more than a dozen separate indicators that make up the overall score. The indicators include absentee ballots rejected or unreturned; data completeness; disability- or illness-related voting problems; military and overseas ballots rejected or unreturned; online registration availability; post-election audit required; provisional ballots cast; provisional ballots rejected; registration or absentee ballot problems; voting information look-up tools; and voting technology accuracy.

Similar Pew Center reports for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 election cycles also called Michigan a “high-performer.”

The Pew Center report can be viewed online.

Drug Court Highlighted as Model Program for Criminal Justice Reform

The 20th Circuit Court is honored to announce that the Adult Drug Treatment Court (drug court), a specialty program for non-violent felony offenders with acute substance use disorders, was selected from over 2,000 drug courts in the United States to be featured in a nationally distributed webinar aired by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). View the webinar.

The webinar is part of a monthly webinar series produced by SAMHSA called “Road-to Recovery,” and addresses topics related to recovery from substance use disorders.  The theme for May is criminal justice reform, for which the work of our drug court was highlighted and paired with commentary from a panel of nationally recognized experts on substance abuse treatment and criminal justice reform initiatives, including the Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.  The drug court is highlighted at minutes 24:00 and 43:18 respectively.

Numerous national studies have clearly indicated that drug courts are effective at reducing recidivism, reducing drug use, are more cost-effective than incarcerating offenders, and improve a participant’s quality of life.  “We see considerable personal growth with the participants in our drug court.  Participants get sober and enter recovery, find jobs, secure housing, repair relationships, and become more positive and stable community members in Ottawa County” says Honorable Mark A. Feyen, drug court judge.

A study conducted by Grand Valley State University in 2014 demonstrates the adult drug treatment court significantly reduces new crime and repeated drug use among high risk and high need offenders.  Notably, drug court participants were 73% less likely to commit a new crime within three years of discharge from the drug court when compared to a similar group of people who were sentenced to traditional probation.

The drug court is funded by time-limited grants annually awarded by the Michigan Supreme Court, Department of Justice, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

From the Ottawa County Courts
20th Circuit | 58th District | Probate

Courage…The Guts to Fail

By: Sylvia Allen

Someone quipped that a classified newspaper ad read: “For sale. Parachute. Only used once, never opened, small stain.”

I realize that we cannot afford to fail in some endeavors. But I also know that we cannot afford NOT to fail in most of what we do. Unfortunately, too many of us live by the motto: If at first you don’t succeed, don’t admit that you tried. Why? We often feel ashamed or embarrassed when we fall flat.

In his book THE COURAGE TO FAIL (McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1993), Art Mortell tells about a conversation he had with baseball’s Lou Brock. It took place when Brock held the record for stolen bases. He was about 35 years old at the time and his days as a professional player were winding down. Brock was talking about why he successfully stolemore bases than younger, faster players.

“When you start out in baseball,” Brock said, “you’re young and you have the speed and reflexes. However, when you try to steal second base and you get thrown out, it’s a long walk back to the dugout, with 40,000 fans watching you. When you reach my age, you come to understand that records are not set by being the quickest, but by the willingness to look bad in the eyes of others.”

There are other ways to avoid failure throughout life:
* Never ask anyone out. There will be no possibility of rejection and embarrassment.
* Never ask for a promotion. That way you will not risk the humiliation of being turned down.
* Never go back to school. You cannot fail a class you do not take.
* Never change careers. You’ll never fail at something you never try.
* Never try anything you’ve never done before.

If success is just avoiding failure, I don’t want it. But if success is about pursuing a passion or finding the guts to risk in order to experience life fully, then I want it. Even if it means a lot of long walks back to the dugout while everyone is watching.

Allen Consulting,
89 Middletown Road,
Holmdel, NJ 07733
732 946 2711
cell  732 241 1144
sylvia@allenconsulting.com

 

Muskegon Market Report

New Innovations Hub In Muskegon

Grand Valley State Universitygvsu is opening a business innovation center in downtown Muskegon. This new space will help build and launch innovative businesses throughout the region.

The Muskegon Innovation Hub at Grand Valley, formerly the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center, will provide all types of business support services for entrepreneurs, start ups and growing businesses. The new co-working space, named CoLaunch, is specifically designed to create a community where entrepreneurs and start ups can work in a collaborative environment as they build their businesses. CoLaunch will be available on a drop-in or month-to-month subscription basis and will provide a wide variety of amenities.

The Muskegon Innovation Hub is customer-service oriented and offers a highly personalized experience for each tenant. The Hub has experts available to help with product development, technology, product commercialization, entrepreneurship, business planningand modeling, and more. Tenants also have access to in-house expertise from the Michigan Small Business Development Center, as well as other business resource partners.

The Muskegon Innovation Hub will hold a community open house on June 20 from 5-7 p.m. Refreshments and entertainment will be provided.

 

Muskegon County Airport Welcomes New Manager!

jeffrey

Jeffrey S. Tripp
Airport Manager

The Muskegon County Airport welcomed Jeffrey S. Tripp as its new Airport Manager.  Tripp has been involved in Airport Management since 1996 performing the full-range of business functions necessary to operate, develop and maintain commercial service and general aviation airports.

He worked his way up the ranks of the airport management field in Arizona at the Prescott Airport, the Scottsdale Airport and the Mesa-Falcon Field Airport. He most recently served as the Airport Director in Redmond, Oregon.

In 2014, Tripp was named “Airport Executive of the Year” by Arizona Airports Association, and the Prescott Airport received “Airport of the Year” honors from the Arizona Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division.

“I am happy to be in Muskegon and look forward to the opportunity to engage with the business and tourism communities to enhance air service opportunities, attract new business to the airport and airport business park,” Tripp said.

 

$1.1 million Waterfront Development Investments

boatThere is a lot going on in downtown Muskegon, including many projects focused on developing downtown waterfront parks. These projects amount to roughly $1.1 million in investments. Some of these projects include a new Rotary Park, some upgrades to the dock where the cruise ships will be stopping, a new ticket booth and some electric and water upgrades at Heritage Landing.

Rotary Park totals roughly $710,000, which is more than half of the total money invested. This includes a handicap accessible playground, fishing bridge and a kayak launch.

The Cruise Ship dock at Heritage Landing totals about $243,000 and will provide cruise ships a beautiful place to dock during their 10 plus visits this summer.

The ticket booth upgrade and water and electric upgrades total roughly $208,849 and will help to improve Heritage Landing. Both projects are expected to be completed by June 30.

There are many projects being looked at for future possibilities, but they are currently in the fundraising and early planning phases.

Governor Snyder Signs Coercive Abortion Prevention Act

Right to Life of Michigan applauds Governor Snyder for signing CAPA

On June 8, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law HB 4787 and HB 4830, the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act (CAPA). The legislation will help stop coerced abortions from happening in Michigan.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “This wonderful news marks the end of a decade-long journey to stop coerced abortions, an everyday occurrence in Michigan.”

Research confirms that a substantial number of women feel forced by boyfriends, spouses, parents, and others to have an abortion against their will. Women are coerced through threats of physical violence, withdrawal of financial support, loss of housing and violation of employment contracts or other legal agreements.

In legislative debates, even elected officials who voted against CAPA acknowledged coerced abortions happen. Trying to downplay these acts of injustice, they suggested that only 3 percent of abortions are coerced. That would mean in 2015 there were 815 Michigan women forced to take the life of their own child against their will.

Listing said, “How can someone downplay coerced abortions while admitting that it happens to hundreds of women in Michigan every year?”

CAPA passed the Michigan Senate by a vote of 26-11 on May 25, and a House vote of 65-43 on March 24.

CAPA adds to Michigan’s current anti-extortion/coercion provisions by including coercion to abort as a specific crime and establishes penalties.

Parts of CAPA were passed into law in 2012 through the Prolife Omnibus Act. These provisions included a screening process at abortion clinics and requiring the clinics to post a notification that coercion to abort is illegal. These delayed provisions can now be put into place.

Listing said, “The abortion industry in Michigan has profited from thousands of women who never chose to have an abortion. It’s time for that to end.”

Ask Dr. Universe – Ice Cream

How is ice cream made? –Israel, 7

Dear Israel,

It just so happens that July is National Ice Cream Month. To celebrate, I decided to whip up some homemade ice cream. You can try it at home, too.

Put milk, sugar, and vanilla into a freezer bag and seal it up tight. Fill another gallon freezer bag with ice and rock salt. Place the liquid mix bag inside the ice bag and give it a good long shake. Some scientists might call this part “agitating.” After five minutes or so, you’ll notice the liquid mix in your bag becomes solid. Then you can dig in with a spoon. Find all the instructions for Ice Cream-in-a-Bag at AskDrUniverse.wsu.edu.

After making my own homemade tuna-flavored ice cream, I decided to take a trip to the Washington State University Creamery to see how the professionals make ice cream for Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe.

I met up with our friend John Haugen, the creamery manager. Each year at the WSU creamery, students make more than 18,000 gallons of ice cream. That’s a lot of scoops.

Just like our Ice Cream-in-a-Bag recipe, their recipe uses a mix of milk, cream, and sugar that’s frozen in a way to prevent crystals from forming and incorporates enough air to make it soft. At the creamery, milk flows through pipes into big stainless steel tanks that have been specially engineered.

The students add a bit of fat to the mix in the form of cream, which gives the ice cream a smooth texture. When the fat mixes with air, it helps create small pockets in the ice cream. It makes the texture smoother. In fact, a scoop of ice cream is about half air.

When making ice cream, we need to keep the ingredients blended together. With all the liquids going in the vat, we also add a few solids like dry milk, followed by the sugar. Then, we heat it up to 155 degrees to pasteurize the milk and kill any bad bacteria that might have snuck into the mix.

We also don’t want the cream to rise to the top or different parts to separate. This is where we add in what’s called an emulsifier. One of the original emulsifiers that did the trick was actually egg.

We also want to keep the ice cream from getting too many ice crystals. So, we add in a bit of carrageenan, a kind of seaweed. But it’s just a tiny bit. It helps keep the ice cream from forming those tiny ice crystals.

The liquid goes through a homogenizer, forcing the mix through a small opening and breaking down milk fats into smaller pieces to make the ice cream even smoother.

Finally, the mix goes through a specially engineered machine to bring the temperature down. Then it gets sent through a freezing barrel and packed into boxes until it’s ready to eat. The best part of the job is eating the ice cream, Haugen adds.

Sometimes there’s no better way to find out how something is made than to give it a try. Tell me about your ice cream experiments sometime at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

Ask Dr. Universe is a science-education project from Washington State University. Send your question to Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.

Right to Life of Michigan PAC Endorses Donald Trump for President

The Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee (RLM-PAC) has endorsed Donald Trump for president of the United States and his running mate Mike Pence for vice president.

Donald Trump has promised support for important prolife positions, especially judges that believe in the rule of law. Indiana Governor Mike Pence has a long track record of supporting prolife legislation, both in Indiana and in Congress.

RLM-PAC Chairman Paul Miller said, “The stakes in this election season could not be higher. Every year, more than one million lives are lost to abortion. We face a choice between allowing people to have a say on abortion laws or entrenching abortion-on-demand through court order for years.”

Trump said he came to his prolife views after watching a friend go through a crisis pregnancy and choose life. Trump released a list of potential U.S. Supreme Court justices that was widely praised by prolife organizations and other groups that believe judges shouldn’t rule by decree. Trump said he would defund the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, and sign a ban on late-term abortions into law.

Miller said, “Trump’s campaign theme has been about giving the people a voice again. When it comes to abortion, people don’t have a say because unelected and biased judges dictate what the law will be.”

The Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Tim Kaine both support abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy. Clinton has said any judge she appoints must support abortion-on-demand. Clinton has been a long-time supporter of partial-birth abortion, a barbaric procedure now outlawed throughout the country. She has called for repealing the federal Hyde Amendment, which would result in forcing every taxpayer to pay for abortions.

Miller said, “Clinton’s positions on abortion are truly radical. They are shared by very few Americans, but unfortunately by many judges. She would appoint the kind of justices who believe partial-birth abortion–brutally killing a baby in the process of birth–is as fundamental a right as things like free speech and a free press.”

The future of the U.S. Supreme Court hangs in the balance following the death of Antonin Scalia. It’s believed there are currently three votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the next president could appoint as many as three justices to the Court.

Miller said, “Most Americans support bans on taxpayer funding of abortions, late-term abortion bans and parental consent requirements. A vote for Trump is a vote to protect these popular laws and potentially overturn Roe v. Wade. The people could finally have a voice and a vote on the issue of abortion again. A vote for Clinton is a vote for unelected judges who substitute their own personal opinions for those of the voters. Clinton will force people to pay for abortions and threaten basic conscience protections.”

Information on the positions of all four candidates is available on the Right to Life of Michigan website, www.RTL.org.

USDA Awards $55,000 to Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator for Business Development

Ottawa County, MI – On July 8, 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a grant agreement to provide the Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator (GLATBI) with $55,000 to enhance their marketing, outreach, and training efforts.  The GLATBI, located in Ottawa County, serves entrepreneurs, farmers, and existing businesses who have an ag-technology idea or invention they would like to develop, either into a business or to license to other entities. Ottawa County ranks third in the State in total farm receipts, making it a perfect location to discover and develop ag-technologies.

The USDA funding, which comes from the Rural Business Development Grant program, will help the GLATBI promote their services and better connect with entities seeking assistance. The Rural Business Development Grant program is a competitive program designed to support targeted technical assistance and other related activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas that have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues.

Development of ag-technology ideas and inventions can create new businesses and jobs that will spark the economy in Ottawa County and around the State. GLATBI provides hands-on, customized business services to help clients address their specific challenges as they launch their ag-technology into the marketplace.  The GLATBI’s eight sponsor organizations also use their expertise to assist staff in addressing each client’s unique business hurdles.

Once an entity meets with the GLATBI about their ag-technology, staff uses their industry resources to assess the viability of the entity’s concept or invention before signing an agreement to provide services to the entity.  This ensures a high level of success for both the GLATBI and their clients.  There is no upfront fee for clients to receive services.  When the client begins generating revenue, then a portion of that revenue, called a business services fee, is paid to the GLATBI. The amount of the business services fee depends upon whether the client builds a business, licenses their product, or if the client is an existing business.

The GLATBI is an equal opportunity provider.  To learn more, please email info@agtechincubator.com, call 616.738.4852, or visit www.agtechincubator.com.

Do You Know What Your Children Are Doing Online?

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop ask: ‘Do you know what your children are doing online?’

sos and bishop and kids

Officials promote child protection registry to block unsuitable online ads

CLARKSTON, Mich. ‒ It’s summertime, which means more free time for kids to play with their smart phones, tablets and other electronic gadgets.

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop want parents to know that there is an effective way to keep kids safe from adult-oriented online ads, even during those times when mom and dad can’t be present to supervise their child’s online activities.

It’s called the Michigan Child Protection Registry and Johnson and Bishop held a news conference today at the media center of Clarkston’s Renaissance High School to promote this valuable resource. The registry is a free and secure program housed on the Secretary of State website that families and schools can use to block adult-oriented ads for products like alcohol, tobacco, pornography and online gambling from reaching their children’s email inboxes, tablets, cell phones or instant messenger IDs.

“As much as we’d all like to, it is not possible to watch a child every minute of the day,” said Johnson, who has a teenage daughter. “It can be a struggle just to keep up with the new social media sites and online games our kids use. The ‘Protect MiChild’ website offers parents and caregivers a secure and simple way to put some controls in place regarding the Internet content their children see.”

Concerned parents or schools may register the electronic addresses for any devices children use at ProtectMiChild.com. The registry will block adult Internet ads for all registered contact points (such as an email address, smart phone number or instant messenger ID) for three years or until the youngest child with access to the contact point reaches the age of 18. Once the information has been entered into the registry, companies that send messages that advertise or link to prohibited products or services are required to remove the registered contact email, phone number or IM within 30 days from their mailing lists. Protect MiChild registrations may be renewed at any time for an additional three-year period.

Bishop originally sponsored the legislation that created the registry, introducing it when he was the Senate majority leader. He remains a strong advocate for greater Internet safety provisions for children, having introduced similar efforts in Congress.

“I’m the father of three, and like any parent, I can see the many ways children today rely on the Internet – for schoolwork, social media, mobile apps – you name it. That’s why it’s so important for all levels of leadership to ensure our kids are protected from inappropriate content when they go online,” Bishop said. “I was proud to introduce the Michigan Child Protection Registry during my time in the Michigan Senate, and I applaud Secretary of State Johnson for continuing to get the word out about this important tool. In Congress, I’ve remained focused on keeping kids safe, and I urge my colleagues in Lansing to continue and strengthen these efforts.”

June is the ideal month to promote the child protection registry because it is celebrated nationally as Internet Safety Month. Joining Johnson and Bishop at the news conference was Clarkston resident and mother Tonya Cunningham, who is the community organizer for the nonprofit Clarkston Coalition for Youth.

U.S Census figures from 2014 show that youth under the age of 18 comprise about 22 percent of the state’s population. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, teens spend an average of 2.3 hours per day engaged in electronic communication and recreation (surfing the Internet, playing video games, texting with friends, and viewing TV) and nearly twice as much time on the weekends. There are a number of Internet games, devices and services produced just for preschoolers.

“We are living in a digital age,” Johnson said. “To keep our children safe from influences and products that are not age appropriate requires action. The Protect MiChild Registry provides parents with the tools they need to help control the Internet content to which their children are exposed. It’s a great resource and I encourage parents and schools to use it to protect their kids.”

Visit the registry at ProtectMiChild.com.

A video message from Secretary Johnson about the Protect MiChild Registry is available on the Secretary of State website.

conference
www.michigan.gov/sos