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Ask Dr. Universe – Greenhouse Gases

What exactly are greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect? -Andres, 10, Bolivia

Dear Andres,

If it weren’t for greenhouse gases, Earth would be an extremely cold, deserted planet. Plants couldn’t grow and animals like us wouldn’t be able to survive.

Greenhouse gases, like all gases, are made up of molecules. Air, for example, is a gas made of mostly nitrogen and oxygen molecules. We breathe those molecules all the time. They fill up our lungs and help us burp.

When I visited my friend Brian Lamb, an engineer at Washington State University, he told me there are a few things that set greenhouse gases apart from other kinds of gases.

Greenhouse gases are named after greenhouses, the glass buildings where humans often grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers when it’s too cold to plant them outside. Greenhouses can trap a lot of heat.

Our planet is kind of like a greenhouse, too. Just as light from the Sun travels through the glass of a greenhouse, light also travels through Earth’s atmosphere, the mass of air that surrounds the planet.

When gas molecules absorb light or energy, they warm up and can also re-emit this energy back to the earth’s surface. Greenhouse gases trap heat, or energy, and keep it in the Earth system so that the Earth and atmosphere become warmer.

Greenhouse gases absorb what scientists call infrared radiation. That’s the fancy word for the same kind of heat we feel coming from a kitchen stovetop. It’s also what makes pavement feel hot enough to fry an egg on a hot summer day.

Lamb explained that greenhouse gases are also different from other gases because they stay in the atmosphere for hundreds, even thousands of years. Some greenhouse gases will even heat up the Earth for up to 25,000 years. But how long they stay also depends on which greenhouse gas you’re talking about.

The main greenhouse gases we know about in our atmosphere include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

While some greenhouse gases form naturally, humans are adding extra greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the big one. It comes from sources like cars, trucks, and factories that are burning fossil fuels.

Greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, are also being added to the Earth faster than the planet has typically been able to process them. There are simple things humans can do every day to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They can use less electricity, turn lights and computers off, and walk or ride bikes instead of driving cars whenever possible.

“We know that carbon dioxide levels are increasing. We know that carbon dioxide absorbs infrared radiation,” Lamb says. “That tells us we should be looking for a greenhouse effect.”

The greenhouse effect is the overall warming up of the planet as these greenhouse gases trap heat.

No matter where greenhouse gases are released, they’ll mix in with other molecules throughout the atmosphere. In this way, greenhouse gases impact the whole planet.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

As Washington State University’s resident science cat and writer, nothing gives my nine lives more meaning than answering kids’ questions.

Karson Kriger Overcomes Limb Difference Through Sports And Family

By Jim Goorman
Local Sports Journal

Karson Kriger play basketball on the Fruitport freshman team. He also plays football, baseball and enjoys out door sports like fishing and hunting.

Karson Kriger has the will and the desire to succeed.

Karson Kriger plays basketball on the Fruitport freshman team. He also plays football, baseball and enjoys out door sports like fishing and hunting.

The freshman on the Fruitport High School freshman basketball team has had a challenge his whole life.

Kriger was born with no circulation in his upper arm. The lower part had to be amputated shortly after he was born. But yet he makes the catches, dribbles with his right hand and tosses in 3-pointers one-handed.

Despite some limitations, feeling sorry for himself has never been a part of the 14-year-old’s vocabulary. He has shown the desire to attempt every single activity any young person could undertake.

He plays baseball, football, skis, hunts for deer and turkey, fishes, weight trains and plays basketball for coach Dale Grimm’s team.

“Karson should be lifting more to make himself stronger,” Ken Kriger, Karson’s father, said.
And the only limitation Karson sees in that statement has nothing to do with his arm.
“But I tell my Dad, I just do not have enough time for lifting,” Karson said.
Karson also has been involved with wrestling. From ages 9-11, he wrestled for the Fruitport Youth Wrestling Club and for the Michigan Youth Wrestling Athletic Association.
So what drives this tough kid from a solid family to want to succeed at all of these activities? The biggest factor is his family, which includes Dad, his mom (Kristi) and his younger sister, Katlyn.
Following his adoption from Bethany Christian Services, Karson was always treated like any other son from any other family.

Karson Kriger sports a prosthetic arm which enables him to bat in baseball. The Fruitport freshman anticipates being a consistent contributor for his Trojans this Spring.

Karson Kriger sports a prosthetic arm which enables to him to bat in baseball. The Fruitport freshman anticipates being a consistent contributor for his trojans this Spring.

“My mom and dad never babied me,” he said. “They kept me going to try harder. I usually can hear my dad encouraging me in the stands, but I try to tune him out. That’s because my coach says stay focused so I do what he says.”

Kristi is always supportive, but like a true mother, she is concerned about protecting her son. She especially is concerned about his right shoulder since injuring that shoulder would affect his pitching.

“As a parent of a limb different child, we have had some ups and downs,” she said. “Karson has rarely had days where he feels sorry for himself, and those days were from frustration with struggling to figure out how to do things ‘his way.’ Other kids have been supportive of Karson as well, but still, his one arm is out of the ordinary,” Kristi said.There was one incident she recalls from when Karson was three years old.

“He fell off a stool and broke his ‘nub’ arm,” Kristi said. “Because it was a hair-line fracture, his arm was in only a soft cast. While at a local park, another child asked Karson what had happened to his arm. Karson nonchalantly told the boy that he had broken his arm. The boy’s eyes became as big saucers. I realized, he thought Karson had completely broken his arm off.”
Karson is quick to state that his coaches also have helped him to succeed.

“My coaches, Grimm in basketball and (Dean) Six and Coach (Greg) Vargas in football have really been big encouragers for me in sports,” Karson said.

One of his more rewarding experiences came from attending a three-day Nubability Camp in DuQuion, Ill., last summer.

Karson Kriger attended Nubabilty camp in Delaney, Ill. and is pictured with coaches Eddie Delany (L) and Kevin Crafton.

They taught all the sports for grades 4-11. But for Karson, he quickly realized something really important.

“I found out at the camp that there were not only many like me, but also found that there were many who had worse conditions and limb differences than me,” he said.The camp’s creed is “to encourage, inspire, and instruct congenital and traumatic amputee kids who want to get out of the stands, off the bench, and into the game.

“I think the camp was great because it encouraged everybody to give your best shot. The older counselors really helped me,” Karson said.

Being confident beyond his 14 years, Karson quickly found he can be a huge encouragement to others.At Mary Free Bed Hospital, where he has received medical assistance, he met a family who asked for his advice.

“The family had a daughter with a limb difference, like me, and wondered if she should play sports. The parents had reservations, but I said, basically, to keep your daughter in sports and she will have friends and it will teach her to never give up and she will have coaches that she can trust,” Karson said.

Baseball is his biggest love and Karson, like most boys, wants to play major-league baseball. He smiles as he relates one of his favorite baseball experiences.

“I struck out a friend of mine three times in one game,” he said. But then he was quick to point out that he also “struck out the side, but walked four batters.”

Nick Reed, Fruitport’s baseball coach, is excited about Karson joining the high school baseball program this spring.

Kriger wields back to throw a strike. The Fruitport freshman has a first love for baseball and looks to former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott for inspiration.

“He has a prosthetic for batting and it is quite remarkable watching him,” Reed said. “He is going to be a main contributor on the freshman baseball team. He is really accepted by his teammates and his parents push him and do not put restrictions on him. He is a great kid.”
Karson also is signed up to play for West Michigan Riptide, an elite travel team, this summer.

He’s had the unique experience of meeting former major-league pitcher Jim Abbott, who also is limb different. Abbott was a left handed pitcher who played for the University of Michigan and then for four major-league teams including the California Angels and the New York Yankees.

Abbott overcame his condition with hard work and then wrote a book entitled, “Imperfect. An Improbable Life.” At a book signing in Grand Rapids 2 years ago, Karson was able to meet him and was granted 5 minutes of Abbott’s time.

“He encouraged me and that has meant a lot to me and my parents,” said Karson. He also had his picture taken with Abbott. And, he received advice about being careful about batters who like to gain an advantage by lay down bunts.

“I am ready for bunters because I have my glove off already when fielding a bunt,” he said. “If opponents try harder against me I do not care.”

Karson also relies on prayers and faith to encourage him through his sports experiences.
“I believe in God and other people and that helps me to do the job,” Karson said. “I know God is watching over me, and if it is a close game, the fans help as well.”

He is presently going through confirmation at his church, Fruitport Congregational United Church of Christ.

Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott signs Karson Kriger’s book.

For others in similar circumstances, check out the Nubability Camp and the “Lucky Fin Project.”

It is a good resource for individuals with limb differences. Their motto is “Ten Fingers are Overrated” and it is run by Molly Stapelman in Royal Oak.

Localsportsjournal.com

Secretary of State Combats No. 1 Cause of Teen Deaths: Traffic Crashes

Johnson encourages parent participation during National Teen Driver Safety Week

LANSING, Mich. – Parents need to know that the greatest risk to teenagers is a traffic crash and what they teach their young driver can help avoid a tragedy, says Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.

As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, Johnson is encouraging parents to be more involved in teaching their kids safe driving behaviors.

Johnson also announced winning high schools in the Distraction-Free Detroit contest that was part of her department’s campaign with The Sam Bernstein Law Firm to educate teens about the dangers of distracted driving.

The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office and The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program are promoting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “5 to Drive” campaign as part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs Oct. 18-24.

“Even though your teen might be gaining independence and getting older, protecting them from harm shouldn’t stop,” said Johnson, herself a mother of a teenager. “The ‘5 to Drive’ campaign and The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program give parents the tools they need to keep their children driver safe.”

The campaign encourages parents to talk to their young drivers about five critical safe driving recommendations:

No cell phones while driving
No extra passengers who cause distractions
No speeding
No alcohol
No driving or riding without a seat belt

Crashes are the leading cause of death for 14-to-18-year-olds in the United States, according to NHTSA. In 2013, 2,614 teen (15-to-19-year-old) drivers were involved in fatal crashes and an estimated 130,000 were injured. In nearly 6 out of 10 incidents, driver distraction was involved, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. A recent NHTSA survey showed that only 25 percent of parents have had a serious talk with their kids about the key components of driving.

Johnson has partnered with the national nonprofit group Safe Roads Alliance since 2013 to offer The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program, a comprehensive instructional tool aimed at helping parents coach their teens. Program guidebooks are given to parents of teens who receive a Level 1 Learner’s License. A free mobile app, RoadReady®, is also available to log the required minimum 50 hours of supervised driving time including 10 hours at night.

“The first six months of independent driving are the most dangerous that a driver will face in his or her lifetime,” said Safe Roads Alliance President Jeff Larason.

More information for parents is available at www.theparentssuperviseddrivingprogram.com and at www.safercar.gov/parents.

In the Distraction-Free Detroit contest that concluded Oct. 12, high-schoolers in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties had the opportunity to take a stand against distracted driving and win $2,500 for their school provided by The Sam Bernstein Law Firm.

About 5,000 students at participating schools went to Michigan.gov/TeenDriver to take a pledge against distracted driving. More than 2,500 parents, school faculty, staff and supporters also went to the site to take a quiz. Total points earned were divided by school population and winners were selected in the four enrollment-based classifications.

The schools, ranked by participation rate:

Class A – Marion HS (Bloomfield Hills), Riverview HS, Utica HS, St. Mary Preparatory HS (Orchard Lake), Franklin HS (Livonia), Southfield HS, Warren Mott HS, Carlson HS (Gibraltar), Romeo HS, Groves HS (Beverly Hills), Troy HS, Stevenson HS (Sterling Heights), Seaholm HS (Birmingham), Novi HS, Utica Eisenhower HS (Shelby Township), Athens HS (Troy)

Class B – South Lake HS (St. Clair Shores), Advanced Technology Academy (Dearborn), Lamphere HS (Madison Heights), César Chávez Academy HS (Detroit), Clarenceville HS (Livonia), University Prep Science & Math HS (Detroit), Regina HS (Warren)

Class C – Memphis HS, Shrine Catholic HS (Royal Oak), West Side Academy (Detroit)

Class D – Universal Academy (Detroit), Westside Christian Academy (Detroit), Auburn Hills Christian School

Johnson commended all schools and students for participating and gave special mention to Utica High School, which didn’t have the highest participation rate but led all schools with 883 pledges taken by students against distracted driving.

“We are honored to work together with Secretary of State Ruth Johnson to raise awareness about this critically important issue,” said Mark Bernstein, president and managing partner of The Sam Bernstein Law Firm. “We are thrilled that this program has educated teens about the risks related to distracted driving. This is just the beginning of our work. There is much to be done.”

For more about the Secretary of State’s Office:
To find Secretary of State office locations and services, visit www.michigan.gov/sos. Sign up for the official Secretary of State Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/michsos and Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/michigansos. Online services are available at www.expresssos.com.

Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).

Circle Michigan Announces Bill Shepler Volunteer of the Year

Detroit, MI – Circle Michigan awarded Kristin Knop the 11^th Annual Bill Shepler Volunteer of the Year Award at its recent Annual Meeting held in Detroit. Each year the Circle Michigan board of directors presents the award to a Circle Michigan member who volunteers selflessly on behalf of the organization and its members. Katie Wiley made the presentation on behalf of Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry.

shepler Knop is a Tourism Coordinator for the Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Circle Michigan members who nominated Knop for the award recognized her as a valuable asset to Circle Michigan who has served on the board and several committees.

“Kristin has wonderful ideas and handles difficult situations with grace and professionalism. Her extensive knowledge of the group-tour industry is apparent,” said Anne Phillips with Motor City Casino in Detroit.

Circle Michigan was established in 1981 to promote group travel to Michigan; its members are packaged-travel suppliers including attractions, hotels, restaurants, destination-marketing organizations, casinos, transportation companies, receptive operators and allied partners. The annual award is named for Bill Shepler, owner of Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry and one of the founders of Circle Michigan. For more information, contact Janet Kasic, executive director of Circle Michigan, at (800) 513.6424.

Ask Dr. Universe – Animal Bones and Muscles

Dear Dr. Universe, Do animals have the same types of bones and muscles as humans? -Lydia, 8

Dear Lydia,
The short answer is yes, said my friend Leslie Sprunger, a veterinarian and professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. But, as always, there’s a catch.
When I visited Sprunger in the anatomy lab, she explained that no matter the species, bones and muscles are all very much alive.

When we look closely at bones and muscles, they are similar across species. You’d need a microscope to see this, but it would show the tiny living cells that make up animals’ bones and muscles.

Without these cells that form muscles and bones, we’d all just be piles on the floor.
Some of these cells break down bone, form new bone, sense damage, or bring in calcium to keep bones strong. Some cells will bundle up together to form muscles that help your body pump blood, lift things, breathe, and move around.

Looking at animals without a microscope, you may have noticed they are different from one another.

“One thing you can say is the reason a human looks different than a dog, a cat, a horse, or an elephant is really about the differences in the shapes of the bones and muscles,” Sprunger said. “They form the structure of the body.”

Humans have 206 bones, while the average cat has about 244 bones. Sometimes, it’s the number of bones and muscles that makes a difference in how an animal moves around.
We cats, for example, have more bones in our spine than humans do. It helps keep us nimble.
“How animals are put together has a lot to do with what they are doing on a daily basis,” Sprunger said. “Does the animal walk on two feet and use it’s hands like we do? Or does it walk on all four feet? Does it run fast to catch dinner, or stand around and graze? Or does it climb trees to catch dinner?”

Giraffes reach their long necks up to get dinner from trees. They actually have the same number of neck bones as humans do, but humans don’t need to reach up into trees to get their dinner, so their neck bones are smaller. So, sometimes it’s the size and shape of the bone makes all the difference.

Actually, some animals don’t have bones at all. Shark skeletons, for example, are made up of a substance called cartilage. Humans have cartilage in their ears. In sharks, the cartilage connects to their muscles.

“It’s pretty much the same thing with muscles. When we look at whole muscles, many of them are the same from one species to another, but they might be a little different shape or size depending on what the animal does for a living,” Sprunger explains.

Veterinarians can use what they learn about little differences in animal bones, muscles, and cells to find out what kinds of diseases or problems an animal might develop in their life. What they learn about animal anatomy can also help treat humans, too, and help us all get well soon.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

Michigan Sues HP After Company Fails to Deliver on Delayed Project

Project was to replace aging Secretary of State computer system

LANSING, Mich. – The state of Michigan today sued Hewlett-Packard Co. in Kent County Circuit Court after it failed to deliver on a $49 million contract despite having 10 years to complete the project to replace aging computer systems at Secretary of State offices around the state.

“I inherited a stalled project when I came into office in 2011 and, despite our aggressive approach to hold HP accountable and ensure they delivered, they failed,” Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said. “We have no choice but to take HP to court to protect Michigan taxpayers.”

The suit comes after months of negotiations which culminated in the state issuing a termination for cause letter on Aug. 28. Despite requirements in the contract that – even if terminated – HP still must provide support to ensure services to Michigan are not affected, HP staff has failed to report to work since Aug. 31.

Since 2005, global information technology company HP has been the contractor for the Business Application Modernization project, which was supposed to replace the Secretary of State’s mainframe-based computer system used by all 131 offices and many internal work areas. The legacy system, which was largely built in the late 1960s with now-outdated programming languages, is costly to maintain and update. The 2010 deadline for HP to deliver the system replacement was not met and the department continues to use legacy systems.

For now, Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget and SOS staff will work to continue to provide the best customer service possible.

Shortly after taking office in 2011, Johnson publicly addressed the project’s lack of progress after the state had already paid out $27.5 million for a system that, at the time she took office, had not delivered a single function to the state.

In partnership with DTMB, Johnson successfully demanded HP reset the terms of the contract to put in place clear timelines for delivery and penalties if HP was unable to deliver. HP agreed to the renegotiated contract.

Based on media reports, Michigan joins the motor-vehicle agencies in five other states – California, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico and Vermont – who have also parted with HP after attempting similar computer modernization projects.

“Our DTMB partners and I are gravely disappointed that this action to sue is necessary, but HP simply failed the state of Michigan,” Johnson said. “Our focus now will be on looking for options that allow us to continue to provide the best possible service at the lowest possible cost to our customers.”

For more about the Secretary of State’s Office:
To find Secretary of State office locations and services, visit www.michigan.gov/sos. Sign up for the official Secretary of State Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/michsos and Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/michigansos. Online services are available at www.expresssos.com.

Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).

10 Tips to have Sexual Health Conversations

10 Tips for Parents:

Be open.
Be the expert.
Be accessible.
Be trusting.
Stay calm.
Ask open-ended questions.
Listen to your teen.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Appeal to common goals.
Show your interest.

The national public education campaign is celebrated in October and coordinated by Advocates for Youth. Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) encourages parents and care givers to continue talking with youth about how to make good decisions about sex, contraception and pregnancy.

Parents are the best sexuality educators for their children.
Teens consistently say that parents most influence their decisions about sex.
Parents want to be good sex educators, but may not always know how.
It is possible to be an ask able adult.

According to the 2013 Ottawa County Youth Assessment Survey, the average age of students who first had oral sex or sexual intercourse was 15 ½. By 12th grade, 47% of students had engaged in oral sex, 40% in sexual intercourse and 37% in sexting. www.miOttawa.org/2013YAS

In 2013, Ottawa County had 243 teen pregnancies, with only 68% being live births (166 babies born). Of these, 37 were repeat teen pregnancies (26 live births).

The high rate of chlamydia cases
in Ottawa County is also a health issue.
In 2014, there were 704 positive cases of chlamydia.

“We know it can be difficult to have conversations about sensitive topics,
but it is important for parents to talk with their children about abstinence
and sexuality.” Heather Alberda, OCDPH
Sexuality Educator www.miOttawa.org/SexEd

For more information, please contact Heather Alberda, Sexuality Educator
at halberda@miottawa.org or 616-393-5774.

Keep talking! @advocates4youth Parent & youth sexual health talks http://bit.ly/1wJ1sHJ www.miOttawa.org/SexEd @miOCDPH

Sources
OCDPH Parent’s Guide to Engaging in a Sexual Health Conversation http://www.miottawa.org/Health/OCHD/pdf/FamilyGuide.pdf

Let’s Talk Resources
http://thenationalcampaign.org/event/let%E2%80%99s-talk-month

House Approves Legislation Protecting Pregnant Women From Assault

LANSING – The House approved legislation authored by Rep. Amanda Price to charge individuals with prior assault convictions with a felony for assaulting a pregnant woman.

“Assault on a known pregnant woman has the potential to cause injuries that affect two lives forever,” said Rep. Price, R-Park Township, of House Bill 4479. “This is a matter of great importance. We need to protect both lives from this behavior.”

HB 4788, working with its partner legislation in HB 4479, will carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison for anyone with two or more assault convictions. An initial conviction remains classified as a misdemeanor with potential imprisonment up to 93 days.

Current law does not specifically list pregnant women in the categories of domestic assault and battery victims, and penalties are only included in an assault that leads to death or specific injury to the fetus.

The two bills were key portions of a bipartisan domestic violence protections package involving six House bills approved Thursday.

The bills now advance to the Senate for consideration.

Ask Dr. Universe – Cars

Dear Dr. Universe: I want to know how my family car works. How does the gas reach the engine and go? How does the steering wheel make the car turn and how do the brakes help us to stop? -Jordan, 6, Queens, New York
Dear Jordan,

As a cat, car rides can sometimes make me feisty. But as a scientist, it’s fascinating to learn about the mechanics, engineering, and chemistry fueling the cars humans drive every day.

First, the gas: Gas is stored in a tank. When a driver pushes down the gas pedal, gasoline flows through a long tube about as wide as a drinking straw, called a fuel line. It works with the fuel pump.

“With more gas running through the fuel line, the engine gets stronger and goes faster,” said my friend Aaron Crandall, an engineer at Washington State University.

A fuel pump can suck a bunch of gas into the line. It’s like what happens when you drink water through a straw. The fuel pump can also push a bunch of gas into a part called the carburetor.

In the carburetor, air mixes with the fuel. It makes a kind of mist, or vapor.

The vapor moves from the carburetor into the cylinders that help the engine create power. Then, spark plugs create a fiery spark in the vapor, which explodes. This reaction makes parts called pistons move up and down, similar to the way our legs do when they pedal a bike. When the piston moves, a crankshaft gets cranking, and the engine starts to work.

Then there’s the steering wheel. How it works depends on how the car is built. In old cars, the steering wheel connects from a pole down to levers. The levers would push rods connected to the wheels. While this made it possible for the car to move in different directions, it was still pretty hard for the driver to turn the steering wheel.

So engineers developed power steering. This kind of steering uses a pump to push fluid around, which helps give the driver extra strength as they turn the wheel, said Crandall.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly: the brakes.

“Without brakes, driving would be a very scary ordeal,” Crandall said.

He explained most brakes work with friction, like handle brakes on bikes. If you grab the handle on a bike brake, you can see the little brake pads grab the rim of the wheel.

When you push down the brake pedal in a car, it pushes fluid into a piston. This piston forces the brake pad against a brake disk. The disk is connected to the rod between your wheels and when the disk is squeezed, the wheels stop turning. It’s a powerful machine to control with just one foot.

There are thousands of parts that help cars run, Jordan. In ten years, when you get your license, humans will probably have come up with even more creative ways to make cars and zoom around.

Sincerely, Dr. Universe
As Washington State University’s resident science cat and writer, nothing gives my nine lives more meaning than answering kids’ questions.

Kiwanis Club Receives Impact Award through Boys & Girls Club of America

When it comes to serving children, Kiwanis International (KI) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) have enjoyed long and successful histories of serving those youth most in need. For the past nine years, the national leadership of the two organizations have worked collaboratively by promoting and supporting local Kiwanis Clubs and Boys & Girls Club partnerships at the grassroots, local community level, with the stated objective being simply to improve the lives of children. kiwanis

To that end, each year KI and BGCA continue to explore how the two organizations might best expand their joint efforts and achieve an even greater impact on kids and communities nationwide. In doing this local Kiwanis and Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation team up to submit applications to share with others, their best practices for collaboration. Each year hundreds of applications are submitted, with only 5 receiving recognition. This year the Kiwanis Club of Muskegon was recognized at the Kiwanis National level on August 29th, 2015 in Detroit, MI as a recipient for 1 of only 5 Club Impact Awards Internationally.

The leading factor that won the award was the testimony by Jack Kennedy, lead Kiwanian and Boys & Girls Club of Muskegon Board Member in the initiative to bring the Boys & Girls Club to Muskegon. Jack expressed to BGCA and KI that the biggest thing Kiwanis Clubs can do across the nation is recognize Kiwanis Clubs often have greater reach than local Boys & Girls Clubs. The best thing Kiwanis Clubs, and all civic organizations can do is serve as a conduit for opening doors to opportunities for local clubs across the country.

Being a conduit for The Boys & Girls Club is the exact capacity Kiwanis Club of Muskegon served in and helped them win the award. As The Boys & Girls Club became a reality for Muskegon, local Kiwanis Club of Muskegon assisted in creating new opportunities for potential future sites for the Boys & Girls Club. Throughout the process those involved were steadfast and continued to keep the end goal in mind; bringing a club to Muskegon that would serve Muskegon youth for decades to come.

The local Muskegon Kiwanis Club however is not only interested in the startup of the club, but also the sustainability of the club. Local Kiwanis members have assisted The Boys & Girls Club of Muskegon in several grant opportunities, one of which is offered by Kiwanis International Foundation and can only be submitted by individual Kiwanis Clubs. The awards for these grants are to be determined in late 2015.

For Further information regarding Boys & Girls Club please contact Dakota Crow at 231-798-5048 or info@bgclubmuskegon.com. For further information regarding Kiwanis please contact Kenneth J. Adamski at 231-739-0276 or kjadamski@comerica.com

Become a Muskegon STAR!

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Muskegon STAR! Community Specialist Training. Click here to learn more about this program’s launch.

Get certified at an upcoming session!
November 18, 2015
January 20, 2016
February 17, 2016
March 16, 2016

EVENT DETAILS:
When: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Where: West Michigan Works Office inside Terrace Plaza
316 Morris Avenue, Suite 300
Lakeshore Chamber Logo Color
West Michigan Works

The Muskegon STAR! Program provides individuals the tools to excel at customer interaction and enhance the overall experience for tourists, guests, friends and fellow employees.

BE THE REASON someone moves to, invests in, or visits the Muskegon Lakeshore.
Create your Muskegon STAR! Greeting
Become a customer service STAR!
Discover Muskegon’s STAR! Attractions

Upon class completion, participants will receive an official STAR! pin, certificate of completion and “Experience Pass” allowing free admission to several area attractions.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Celebrating a Decade of Caring at the Poppen Hospice Residence

hospice Ten years ago this month, with the support of a generous community, Harbor Hospice opened the Leila and Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence in Fruitport township to serve patients who could no longer be cared for at home or in an alternate setting. The vision to provide patients with the opportunity to live out their journey – on their terms – with the expertise of the hospice team has been realized by over 2,000 patients and families cared for at the residence.

“The staff at the Poppen Hospice Residence was absolutely amazing. They were respectful, caring, loving and phenomenal at providing care. Not only did they care for our family member but also for the entire family. They truly have a passion for treating their patients from their whole heart.”

“The sense of peace and comfort that our patients and families express to us on a daily basis validate our belief that this is a needed resource for the communities we serve. We are so grateful for the philanthropic support we receive, which is broad and heartfelt. Our board and leadership focuses on being good stewards of community resources. We like to say that we’re planning for the care that we will want someday, says Mary Anne Gorman, executive director.

For additional information, or to tour the Poppen Hospice Residence, please contact Harbor Hospice at 231.728.3442 or 800.497.9559, email info@HarborHospiceMI.org or visit our website www.HarborHospiceMI.org.

About Harbor Hospice

Harbor Hospice is a community based, nonprofit organization that cared for its first patient in 1983. Serving a 5-county area in west Michigan, its administrative offices and 14-bed hospice residence are located in Muskegon, Michigan. Governed by a community board of directors, Harbor Hospice employs 90 staff providing hospice care to patients at home, in facilities and in the Poppen Hospice Residence. Eighty trained hospice volunteers provide patient and family support such as respite care, grief support, community education and fundraising. In 2014, Harbor Hospice served 790 patients throughout the lakeshore area. Reflecting its commitment to high quality care, Harbor Hospice has maintained accreditation from the Joint Commission since 1997.

Car Trunk Abortion Investigation Shows Abortion Industry Scrutiny Necessary

On October 13, it was reported that long-time Michigan abortionist Michael Roth is under investigation for human tissue and medical equipment found in his vehicle in West Bloomfield.

Right to Life of Michigan applauds authorities for investigating any potential violations. The abortion industry’s long history of contempt for women’s health, standards of care and state regulations shows that they cannot be trusted to regulate themselves.

Roth has a long history of violations, including two previous at-home abortions he performed in 1998 and 1999.

Right to Life of Michigan released a report in 2012, Abortion Abuses and State Regulatory Agency Failure, featuring several of Roth’s violations. In addition to his at-home abortions, Roth was disciplined in 2002 for drug-related violations, including prescribing drugs without a license. He was disciplined in 2004 for violating patient consent laws and was accused of falsifying medical records by a former employee.

Right to Life of Michigan Legislative Director Ed Rivet said, “Abortionists frequently violate our laws with extreme disregard for women’s health and safety. Roth should have his license revoked, just like Dr. Robert Alexander who ran a house of horrors abortion clinic in Muskegon until 2014.”

Roth’s most recent abortion business, the Novi Laser and Aesthetic Center, was closed in 2014.

Since passage of the Michigan Prolife Omnibus Act in 2012, which significantly strengthened the oversight of the abortion industry, 16 abortion businesses in the state have closed, many due to substandard practices.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “We’re glad we’ve been able to provide more tools for authorities to deal with health and safety violations in the abortion industry, and we’ll continue to provide them with even more. If abortionists and their businesses can’t abide by laws and regulations that others follow, they shouldn’t be allowed practice on vulnerable women.”

Abortion Abuses and State Regulatory Agency Failure report

Right to Life of Michigan | 616-532-2300 | info@rtl.org | www.RTL.org
2340 Porter St SW | Grand Rapids, MI 49509

The Time is Now to Act on Abortion Coercion

On September 29, in a 5-3 vote, two bills that would address the injustice of coerced abortions passed the Michigan House Criminal Justice Committee and are under consideration on the House floor. Right to Life of Michigan expects the full Michigan House and the Michigan Senate to finally pass the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act (CAPA) this term.

CAPA would add to Michigan’s current anti-extortion/coercion provisions by including coercion to abort as a specific crime. A portion of CAPA was passed in 2012, and other versions of the legislation have been considered in past legislative sessions.

The three Democratic state representatives (Rep. Stephanie Chang, Rep. Vanessa Guerra and Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright) on the committee voted against these bills despite calling themselves “pro-choice.” Forcing a woman to have an abortion is plainly wrong, women have a right to be free from coercion, and everyone ought to be willing to be the first to jump up and do something about it when faced with evidence that it’s happening.

During the years this legislation has been debated in Lansing, vulnerable women have faced threats of physical violence, withdrawal of financial support, loss of housing and violation of legal agreements in attempts to coerce them into ending the life of their child.

Tammy Holly, a victim of abortion coercion, has testified three times now before the Michigan Legislature during work on these bills over the years.

“Year after year you hope and pray they finally get something accomplished,” she said.

Through her work with the Justice Foundation, Holly has presented numerous legal affidavits of other Michigan women who have been coerced into having abortions. In her case, she received zero counseling or screening and was pressured by her boyfriend, her parent, and the abortionist. She said it was critical that women understand it’s illegal to coerce them into having abortions, and that isn’t happening now.

“My parent said, ‘this is how we’re going to do it.’ The abortion doctor said, ‘you don’t have any other options,” Holly said.

The abortion industry financially gains from abortions and has been silent in the face of this repeated evidence. Since they refuse to do anything for these women, we must act and protect women in those situations.

Learn more about prolife legislation by visiting www.rtl.org.

Candidate Workshop to Prepare Residents to Run

You are the Future!

MUSKEGON, MI – Can you influence the future of your community? The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce and is hosting a Candidate Information Workshop for individuals interested in running for public office. The workshop is open to the general public to introduce citizens to, and gain a working knowledge of, the local political process.

“The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce encourages citizens who are concerned about the progress of our community to become involved,” says Cindy Larsen, President of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce.

This non-partisan program will provide a general overview of campaign rules, marketing, fundraising, policymaking review and understanding local issues. Join experts and community leaders for informative presentations and interactive discussions. Anyone who may be interested in running for a public office now or in the future should attend. This includes interest in school board, village, township, city, county and state level positions.

“This in an exciting time for Muskegon,” says Wes Eklund, President of Fleet Engineers and Chair of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee. “Participation in the political arena from all citizens in the community is essential for dynamic and innovative growth and development.”

Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2015

Time: 4:00 – 5:30 pm

Place: Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce Training Center, 380 W. Western Avenue, Suite 202 in Downtown Muskegon

Cost: $15 per person/pre-registration is required.

Call 231-722-3751 for more information or visit www.muskegon.org

Op Ed from John C. Kennedy

As a Michigan business leader, I see the direct effect of illiteracy in the workplace and our talent pool and it is a roadblock to Michigan becoming a leading state economy.

I was a member of the Governor’s bi-partisan 3rd grade reading workgroup this spring. The workgroup proposed a series of recommendations to improve literacy and the report was widely hailed for its recommendations.

The solutions proposed in House Bill 4822 have been carefully selected from best practices through extensive 3rd grade literacy research. And, I believe this bill will improve literacy in Michigan.

This summer, Grand Rapids Public Schools piloted a 5-week program in three of their lowest performing elementary schools. The program put into practice the bill’s intervention proposals that reflect our workgroup’s findings.

The pilot program attacked two key success influencers: curriculum and teacher training. The students all scored one grade level or more behind reading proficiency on Michigan’s standardized test. Curriculum today assumes students obtain some basic literacy skills at home, but in many cases they haven’t. The pilot curriculum measured each child’s literacy through diagnostic instruments and performed targeted, individualized interventions to master the five basic building blocks of reading (phonics, phonemics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension).

Elementary teachers today are not prepared to teach diagnostically-informed interventions. We provided teacher training and reading specialists to coach teachers throughout the 5-weeks on how to use diagnostic instruments and how to perform individualized interventions for teachers to take back into their classrooms in the same schools this year.

68% of the pilot program students who attended all five weeks showed progress on the NWEA MAP assessment test. In contrast, 53% of a control group of like-performing students who did not participate in the program declined over the summer. The teacher feedback has been extremely positive. It’s not a question of intelligence or capability. When children have the basic building blocks of reading, the information necessary to move forward in learning, they can achieve like anyone else.

If we pass this bill, GRPS’s success can be scaled across the state.

Rep. Price’s Third-grade Reading Proficiency Legislation Approved by House

LANSING – Landmark third-grade reading proficiency legislation to help strengthen the educational development of all Michigan children was approved by the full House recently.

House Bill 4822, written by Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township, creates a proactive literacy system that is designed to help K-3 students become proficient in English Language Arts on their third grade assessment before entering fourth grade.

“The ability to read by third grade opens doors and broadens horizons more than any other academic skill,” said Rep. Price, chair of the House Committee on Education. “That’s the emphasis of this legislation – to give children and educators the tools to develop a stronger educational foundation beyond third-grade. I’m pleased to see this important bill pass with bi-partisan support.”

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Michigan currently ranks 38th in fourth grade reading and is one of six states that have seen their fourth grade reading scores decline. Currently, 15 states have similar policies aimed at improving third-grade reading proficiency.

The bill now advances to the Senate for consideration.

Rep. Price Announces Reading Proficiency Legislation Has Passed Committee, Set for House

HB 4822 intended to help assess students in third grade

LANSING – State Rep. Amanda Price, R-Park Township, announced that House Bill 4822 has been approved by the House Committee of Education, moving the bill to the House floor for review.

HB 4822 creates a proactive literacy system that is designed to help K-3 students become proficient in English Language Arts before entering fourth grade.

“This bill is all about helping kids, making sure a strong foundation has been set for their early education before expanding their learning to other curriculums,” said Rep. Price, who serves as chair of the House Committee on Education. “In discussion with my colleagues on the committee, and extensive testimony from parents, teachers and administrators, we’ve found strong support for this legislation.”

The bill collected bi-partisan support, advancing on a 13-3 vote with one abstention.

Professional Arena Football Returns to West Michigan Spring 2016; Community to Name the Team.

MUSKEGON, MI – Professional arena football is coming to the Lakeshore this spring, and the community is being given the opportunity to name the team. West Michigan native, current Los Angeles based sports & entertainment attorney and Muskegon All-Star Classic Founder, Terrence (TJ) Williams has secured the rights to bring a team to West Michigan as a member of the American Indoor Football League (AIF). The AIF is the largest, and longest continuously running, arena football league in the country. The league is comprised of 21 teams, with a national geographic footprint.

The West Michigan team will kick off in the spring of 2016 with a name given to it by the community. Williams, who will act as team owner and President of Operations, has launched a Name-the-team contest allowing the public to vote on their favorite idea for the team name, saying, “It is important for the community to name their team. It’s theirs, they own it, the staff is simply here to keep the wheels turning.” Voters will have the ability to select from 5 previously nominated names and be entered for a chance to win 2 season tickets. The 5 nominations are West Michigan: Ironmen; River Rats; Melee; Marauders; or Breakers. Fans can log on to the website (www.WMarenaFB.com) to vote and may vote as many times as they would like. Voting ends at midnight on Nov. 1

The team will announce the winning name at a team launch party in November. Coaches and staff will be introduced at the launch party as well.

Barnes & Noble Bookfair – November 6, 2015

Muskegon Museum of Art NOVEMBER 2015 Calendar of Events & Exhibitions

The Art of the Snowboard, public art by Richard Hunt, and the annual Festival of Trees make for an active month at the MMA.

Thursday November 5 & 12, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Open Public Tours
The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects
Drop in for docent-led tours of the exhibition. MMA admission: $8 adult, $5 adult student with I.D., free for ages 3-17 and for MMA Members.

Thursday, November 5
Exhibition Opening
The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects
5:30 pm Reception/7:00 pm Lecture by Tami Miller
Tami Miller is the Curator of Art and Education, at the Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, Michigan and Exhibition Curator for The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects. She will discuss the exhibition and Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt, who will attend as a special guest. Hunt is nationally recognized for his shaped and welded steel and bronze sculptures of fluid and vibrant organic forms. One of the most prolific artists working in public art today, he is well-known to Muskegonites as the creator of the iconic stainless steel sculpture, Muskegon Together Rising. To celebrate Muskegon’s intimate bond with Hunt, the MMA is pleased to present The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects, an exhibition organized by the Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, Michigan. The exhibition opening is free and open to the public. Cash bar.

Thursday, November 12, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Richard Hunt Documentary by Charlie Ahearn
(44 mins.) This documentary follows internationally renowned sculpture artist Richard Hunt as he leads a tour through Chicago, exploring his monumental outdoor sculptures that reflect his use of abstract forms made of bronze and steel. Viewers will also get a glimpse into Hunt’s steel fabrication studio where his creative process culminates. Brown Bag film admission is free. Complimentary coffee and cookies are provided. You are welcome to bring your lunch. Auditorium doors open at noon. Paid admission is required for exhibition entrance. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner Alcoa Foundation/Howmet.

Thursday, November 12, 6:00 pm
Quick Art Crash Course: Hanging Artwork
Ever wonder how to hang artwork? What is the perfect height? What is the safest hanging hardware? The MMA staff will cover the bases, answering these questions and more. Join the MMA staff once per month, during one of the MMA’s weekly Art and a Glass happy hours, for a quick art Crash Course—subject matter varies but know that you will walk away with something new: something you didn’t know about the MMA’s collection, new ways to look at art, and so much more. This program and Thursday night Museum admission are free.

November 14, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Snowboard Super Saturday
Free Family Fun Day
WANTED Snowboard Designers! Join our youngest Festival of Trees design team. Ms. Ronace will lead young designers to create their own snowboard ornaments for our fourth Super Saturday Christmas Tree, which will be part of the Festival of Trees event that starts November 19. Each youth participant will get a free FOT admission ticket. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner, Alcoa Foundation/Whitehall Operations.
11:00 am & 1:00 pm Film
Davey and Goliath’s Snowboard Christmas
(45 mins.) Follow the intrepid young adventurer and his faithful canine sidekick as they take to the slopes for a snowboarding session. Life lessons, balanced with Christmas cheer, are in store for young Davey as the adventures unravel.
11:00 am – 1:00 pm Guided Exhibition Tours
Discover Freestyle: The Art of the Snowboard with a Museum docent.
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Make & Take
Design your own snowboard ornament to adorn our awesome Super Saturday FOT tree!

Wednesday, November 18, 10:15 am
Friends of Art Program
Evolution of an Artist
Guest speaker Larry Blovits has amassed a national reputation for excellence in painting oil and pastel portraits, landscapes, and teaching. Program is free and open to the public. Paid admission is required for exhibition entrance.

November 19–29
Festival of Trees
Help us celebrate our 11th year of this community holiday celebration. The MMA will present beautiful and whimsical professionally designed themed trees and décor to set a festive holiday mood. These items will be available for purchase through silent auction over the Festival’s 10 days. Raffles, live music, the gingerbread village and train, gift shopping, and special events will add to the fun.
Presenting Festival Sponsor is Alcoa Foundation/Howmet.
$8 Adult | $5 MMA Member | $3 child 3-17 yrs. (under 3 free)
$14 All Festival Pass

Friday, November 20, 6:00-9:00 pm
Shake Your Sugarplums Dance Party
Rock around the Christmas trees! Enjoy craft brews, wines, and mixed drinks from our cash bar, along with hearty appetizers and music. Tickets: $25 per person/$20 MMA member. Includes Festival admission. Call 231.720.2580 to purchase.

Tuesday, November 24, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Festival Senior Day
$1 off Festival admission for ages 65 and older. Enjoy free coffee and cookies, raffles, and entertainment throughout the day. Call 231.720.2571 for group bookings. Calling ahead to reserve an arrival time for your group will help us plan welcoming assistance and easier traffic flow.

Wednesday, November 25, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Festival Family Day
Get out of the house for holiday fun the day before Thanksgiving! Discounted family rate and kids’ activities will add to the fun. Call 231.720.2571 for group bookings.

Thursday, November 27
Happy Thanksgiving!
Museum closed.

Saturday, November 28, 8:30-10:30 am
Teddy Bear Breakfast
Grab your teddy bears and get ready for another Teddy Bear Breakfast—great fun for ages 3-8 (and their adults). Includes full breakfast, visit with Santa, craft activity, and teddy bear checkup. Note: The event is longer this year and one extra seating has been added to make more room during each breakfast time slot. Tickets: $12 for adults/$7 ages 1-17. Includes Festival admission Tickets are limited, and always sell out. Plan to purchase early. Call 231.720.2580 for tickets.

Sunday, November 29, 1:00-3:00 pm
Deck Your Halls
Enjoy wine, coffee, and snacks while Festival designers demonstrate how you can make creative and affordable décor for gifts or for your own home, using new ideas inspired by Pinterest and other DIY sites. The many items crafted during the program will be given away to one-dollar raffle winning audience members. Tickets: $20 per person/$15 MMA member/$25 at the door. Includes Festival admission. Cash bar. Call 231.720.2580 to purchase tickets.

Thursday, December 10, 5:30-8:00 pm
Opening Reception and Distinguished Lecture
Common Ground: African American Art from the Flint Institute of Arts, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and the Muskegon Museum of Art
Following a public reception from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, eminent African American studies scholar and National Humanities Medal recipient Professor David Driskell will give a lecture entitled “African American Art in Review” Driskell will focus on art selections from the collections of the MMA, KIA, and FIA that show a historical profession of stylistic principals in painting and sculpture by artists of color that have added measurably to the canon of American art. Audience Q&A will follow, with an opportunity to meet and mingle with Dr. Driskell during the reception. Event is free and open to the public. Cash bar.
EXHIBITIONS

Through November 1, 2015
EXTREME FIBERS: Textile Icons and the New Edge
Extreme Fiber: Textile Icons and the New Edge examines the state of fibers and textiles in the fine art world today. The artworks on display will reveal the diversity of this fine craft movement, and its transformation into a multi-media and discipline-spanning phenomenon. Participating artists are well-known visionaries in the field.
Joining the works of these masters will be a group of artworks selected from juried submissions received from artists around the world. Works from new and established artists will thus be seen alongside the contemporary art of the artists that helped to define the movement. The exhibition will include tapestries, quilts, weavings, sculpture, basketry, and a host of other forms, from the functional to the fully-abstracted.
This exhibition has been organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art with guest curator Geary Jones. Underwritten by Bayer CropScience.

October 29, 2015 – January 10, 2016
FREESTYLE: THE ART OF THE SNOWBOARD
December 25, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Sherm Poppen’s iconic invention—the original snurfer is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution—and its contribution to the world of sports. The MMA will celebrate this historic occasion with Freestyle: The Art of the Snowboard, featuring Grandville, Michigan-made Marhar Snowboards. Freestyle will feature more than 30 Marhar Snowboards, which are still fabricated entirely by hand. From design to ready-to-ride finish, Morse and Stiles engineer and produce their own cores, shapes, flex patterns, and graphics. The exhibition will demonstrate the creative inspiration and skill that make these West Michigan boards a true art form.

November 5, 2015 – January 24, 2016
THE PUBLIC LIFE OF RICHARD HUNT: 21ST CENTURY PROJECTS
Sculptor Richard Hunt is nationally known for his bent, shaped, and welded steel or bronze sculptures of fluid and vibrant organic forms. Hunt is one of the most prolific artists working in public art today and created Muskegon Together Rising, the monumental stainless steel sculpture at the center of the Patricia B. Johnson Circle in downtown Muskegon. Because of Muskegon’s relationship with Hunt, and in honor of his 80th birthday this year, the MMA present the exhibition, The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects, organized by the Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, Michigan. Muskegon Together Rising will be a key component of the exhibition, its history and development represented by two stainless steel models from the MMA collection, and a group of preliminary drawings and installation photographs lent by Fleis & Vandenbrink. Visitors discover how large scale public works develop and the many subtle changes inherent in the creative and collaborative process before a final project is realized. Underwritten by PNC.

December 10, 2015 – March 20, 2016
COMMON GROUND: African American Art from the Flint Institute of Arts, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and the Muskegon Museum of Art
Common Ground is a collaboration between three Michigan art museums showcasing the best of each institution’s renowned collections of African American artwork combined in one exhibition, including some of the most important African American artists from the nineteenth century to present day. Common Ground is divided into five thematic areas that will give a broad overview of the history of African American art, showing its diversity as well as its commonality. The exhibition includes more than 60 top-rated works in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and works on paper. Eminent African American studies scholar David Driskell will give a lecture at the MMA’s opening event on December 10. National Humanities Medal recipient Professor Driskell’s lecture is entitled “African American Art in Review.” He will focus on art selections from the collections of the MMA, KIA, and FIA that show a historical profession of stylistic principals in painting and sculpture by artists of color that have added measurably to the canon of American art. Audience Q&A will follow with an opportunity to meet and mingle with Dr. Driskell during the reception. Underwritten by DTE Foundation with additional support from Fifth Third Bank and the Waters Foundation.

Frauenthal Follies – Coming November 7, 2015

The Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce the second annual Frauenthal Follies! The profits from “The Frauenthal Follies Take 2!” will be shared with The Boys and Girls Club of Muskegon!

“We are very excited to be partnering with the Muskegon Boys and Girls Club this year”, says Linda Medema, Sales and Marketing Manager for the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts. “For the second year, community leaders, groups and citizens will come together to perform on our beautiful stage. This is a wonderful opportunity to show support, not only for the Frauenthal, but for the Muskegon Boys and Girls Club. I am thrilled that the kids from the Club will not only be performing, but will be helping backstage and their artwork will be on display and for sale in the lobby. Add that to all of the other wonderful performers and this guarantees a great night of entertainment in downtown Muskegon.”

Muskegon County Commissioner Bob Scolnik will be the emcee for the night! The star studded line-up includes The Boys and Girls Club kids; the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office; Muskegon Civic Theatre; Diane Reeths; Legal Rehab; Michigan Youth Ballet Theatre performing a Star Wars Ballet preview; Jim Fles on the mighty Barton Organ; Beth Adkins and Tom Clarke; Miss Teen Michigan; West Michigan Youth Symphony & Choir; The Muskegon Community Foundation for Muskegon County Staff; Bill Iddings, Bonnie Bierma & Company performing “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”; Mary Switzer; Hon. Greg Pittman; Joycelyn Shaw, Thom Peterson & Dancers; Dave Kennedy & Donna Welch; Soli Clarke; Roy Cowdrey & Cynthia Novak and a few surprises!

We will be also doing a School Supply Drive for the Muskegon Boys and Girls Club. Please bring pencils, highlighters, notebooks, crayons, colored pencils, folders, etc. to donate to this worthy cause. Music supplies are also needed: guitars, drum sets, piano keyboards, music stands, speaker and amps.

Reserve November 7 now for a great night of entertainment! Tickets for “The Frauenthal Follies Take 2!” on November 7, 2015 at 7:30 pm are on sale now! $12 each, all seats reserved. Call the Frauenthal Box Office, 231-727-8001 M-F 11am – 5:30 pm / StarTickets 800-585-3737 or online at frauenthal.org or startickets.com.

Love Muskegon, Every Ticket Counts!

Register Now for the Ottawa County Water Quality Forum

Ottawa County, MI— Twenty-five miles of Lake Michigan shoreline; 475,000 feet of prominent rivers and streams; 3,600 acres of major inland lakes. These are just a few of the natural and unique characteristics of the lakeshore’s Ottawa County—and they are worth protecting. On Friday, November 13, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and citizens are invited to the Tenth Annual Water Quality Forum. The forum brings together area experts to share and discuss ways to safeguard and preserve one of West Michigan’s most valuable resources—its water. Register now at miOttawa.org.

A distinguished group of researchers and professionals from Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Michigan Farm Bureau and many more will share results and updates on water quality projects. A diverse program will offer an overview of the Grand River water quality, drain and landfill construction, updates on Project Clarity in Lake Macatawa, phase two of the Water Resources Study, groundwater sustainability evaluation and more. The complete agenda is available at miOttawa.org along with registration details.

The forum is held at the Ottawa County Administrative Complex at 12220 Fillmore in West Olive from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The fee to attend is $10 and registration is limited to the first 150 participants. Registrations must be received no later than November 6. Questions about the forum should be directed to the Administrator’s Office at 616-738-4898.

View the Agenda Register Now

Travel by Dawn – Upcoming Bus Tours

Here are some upcoming trips that we still have availability on

1. Wine Tour – October 24 & 25-$179, includes, 7 wineries & tastings, hotel, breakfast and a casino option! Fun! Fun!

2. Blue Chip & Four Winds Casino- November 15 (Sunday)-$50/Up to $52 back

3. Woodfield & IKEA Mall- November 21 – Shopping $55, includes shopping bags, coupons books and more

4. Chicago Shopping, Woodfield/IKEA, Downtown & Aurora Outlets-November 27- $199/2 Nights /3 days, breakfast, shuttle to malls, coupon books! (Triple and Quad Rates available)

5. Detroit Red Wings vs Nashville Pedrators – $129

6. Kewadin Casino Run-April 15-17, 2016- $209 – Up to $181 back/includes 2 nights, 2 breakfast and a whole lot of fun!
7. Washington DC- April 27-May 3, 2016 $1129-an awesome trip-Call for Details!

Visit: index www.travelbydawn.com

Editorial for Fruitport Township Residents

Vote YES on November 3rd to withdraw from MADL. Also vote NO for the MADL tax increase.

The Voters need to correct
With a heavy-handed pitch from the county level, the residents of Fruitport voted to join the Muskegon Area District Library (MADL) about 10 years ago while I was the township supervisor. I had misgivings at that time, but I did not take an active position against it.

Unfortunately, those misgivings have come to pass. We have given it a 10-year try and it has been a problem as the experiences expressed in the 4-page information flyer sent out explains. I believe it will continue to be unfair and problematic for our community and for our taxpayers until our voters vote to withdraw from MADL. It needs to be done now otherwise we will have to suffer through another ten years of injustice and increased taxes.

I believe that the library committee with the oversite of the township board and village council can provide a much better library than we could ever have being part of MADL and for less tax money.

—Previous Twp. Supervisor, Ron Cooper

P.S. The MADL is busy sending out faulty and misleading information. Don’t get taken in by it. If you would like the truth, the committee has the information available at the township hall.

Be a Muskegon STAR!

Anyone can be a Muskegon STAR! in the eyes of stakeholders working on the new community image campaign. A group of campaign coordinators have partnered to produce a new community specialist program called Muskegon STAR! Perception research showed that the majority of West Michigan residents have a lack of knowledge when it comes to Muskegon’s assets. Therefore, this program was launched in conjunction with the Watch Muskegon marketing campaign, to educate the community’s residents, volunteers and front-line employees on the area’s assets and how to sell them.

“Sharing community information effectively with guests and residents creates a positive Muskegon experience,” says Cindy Larsen, President of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. “These positive experiences help grow our local economy, enhance pride and increase quality of life.”

Education is one of the three pillars of the community-wide image campaign, along with beautification and marketing. This training program is one of the ways in which area organizations plan to improve the community’s image.

“More than 1.5 million people travel to the Muskegon Lakeshore each year for vacation and it is vitally important that we capture every possible opportunity to make a positive impression,” said Bob Lukens, Community Development Director for Muskegon County. “Having certified Muskegon STARS! will enhance our destination’s reputation for years to come, helping us to attract future visitors, meetings and events.”

This half-day training program kicks off October 19, 2015 and will deliver information about the community’s assets and how to share this information using a variety of customer service skills. At the conclusion of the program, participants are administered a test and then become certified “Muskegon STARS!” Participants will receive an official Muskegon STAR! pin, a certificate of completion, and an “Experience Pass” allowing entry to several Muskegon County attractions to get a hands-on experience of the community’s assets.

“While it’s vitally important to train our community’s frontline selling staff, it’s equally as important to train our community residents and job seekers,” adds Brittany Lenertz, Deputy Director for Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana. “With more than 1,000 local jobs to fill, educating job seekers on how to sell the community and providing them with the customer service training to do it, is critical in so many industries across the community.”

The program curriculum has been established over the past several months, with two pilot training sessions held in the last month. “The response to the first couple training sessions has been overwhelming,” adds Larsen. “We have Muskegon STARS! contacting us stating that they have already used what they’ve learned during the training and recognize the value of the content.”

About the Muskegon STAR! Certified Community Specialist Program:

Coordinating Program Partners: Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce and Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana.

Additional Partners: Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Baker College of Muskegon, United Way of the Lakeshore, Muskegon Area Intermediate School District and the Watch Muskegon Campaign.

Training Dates and Times: The first official training will be held on October 19, 2015 with monthly trainings to follow on November 18, January 20, February 17, and March 16. All trainings take place from 1 – 5pm. Class size is limited to 30 people.

Training Location: All scheduled sessions are held at the Michigan Works! Office at 316 Morris Avenue, Suite 300, inside Terrace Plaza in Downtown Muskegon.

Training Cost: All trainings are currently free, however a nominal fee will apply in the future. Companies interested in having an on-site training with 10+ employees can pay a nominal fee to have the training brought in-house. Those interested in a corporate training, can contact Michigan Works! at 231-332-3926 to schedule.

How to Register: You can register for upcoming trainings at www.muskegon.org or by contacting the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce at 231-722-3751 or mlcc@muskegon.org

Continuing to Expose Planned Parenthood’s Abortion Agenda

As the summer has gone on, the controversy has grown over the undercover videos which reveal Planned Parenthood’s practice of selling the organs and body parts of aborted children.

As of September 10, nine videos have now been released. Four of the videos feature meetings with Planned Parenthood officials. Three videos feature a whistle blower formerly employed at StemExpress, a company which purchased organs from Planned Parenthood. The other two videos feature meetings with the leaders of companies which buy the fetal body parts.

These undercover investigations have revealed a number of troubling aspects of Planned Parenthood’s practice of selling the organs and body parts of aborted children. Planned Parenthood officials are willing to change abortion procedures in order to obtain more intact organs, a fact they admitted to in a letter to Congress. There are also the disturbing images of aborted children and revelations of intact children being delivered at abortion clinics.

StemExpress sued in an attempt to prevent the release of the video featuring their CEO. When they learned they were unlikely to win their case, they announced they were cutting ties with Planned Parenthood before the video became public.

Planned Parenthood has responded to the videos by hiring SKDKnickerbocker, a high-priced public relations firm. Various efforts to distract attention away from the videos have included the apparent faking of a web site hack, claiming those who made the videos are violent extremists, claiming the videos are illegal, threatening to sue, and hiring a forensic investigator to release a report which says the full videos are useless as evidence because they don’t include footage of the undercover reporters taking bathroom breaks.

In their letter to Congress, Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards admits that one of their California affiliates receives a “reimbursement of $60 per tissue specimen.” While Richards claims the $60 per tissue is solely a reimbursement, she has not provided any evidence the money they receive for these organs is only a reimbursement for their costs. This is especially troubling considering some videos have shown how the companies that purchase the fetal body parts are directly doing the collection and transportation following the abortion. What is Planned Parenthood being reimbursed for except for allowing the buyers access to babies’ body parts?

To help further educate the public on Planned Parenthood’s abortion agenda, prolife people from across Michigan joined others across the United States on August 22 and showed up in large numbers at 14 Planned Parenthood clinics in Michigan. They peacefully protested America’s largest provider and promoter of abortion, and asked government leaders to stop sending their tax dollars to them.

To learn more about Planned Parenthood’s abortion agenda and to view the videos which have exposed them, visit www.RTL.org.

Dr. Universe – Volcano

Dr. Universe: What happens under a volcano? -Graylon W., 6, Milton, Ontario

Dear Graylon,

Your question takes us on a journey deep into the Earth. Figuratively speaking, of course. It’s really hot under Earth’s surface. It’s so hot it can melt rock. This melted rock is known as magma. And anything that erupts magma is a volcano.

Under volcanoes are giant pools filled with piping hot mush. That’s what I learned from my friend John Wolff, a geologist at Washington State University.

“It’s almost like thick oatmeal,” Wolff explained. Thick oatmeal that glows hot orange and sometimes stinks like a burnt match or rotten eggs. The mush is a mixture of rock that is not quite a liquid or a solid. It also has crystals.

In his rock collection, Wolff has a piece of dark grey basalt rock with white crystals. Basalt is one of the oldest, most common kinds of rock we find under volcanoes.

Scientists think crystals in the semi-melted rock help the mush keep its shape for such a long time. If half of the mush is crystals, it will stay mushy. When the mush has less than half crystals, it will start melting into more of a liquid.

“The crystal mush can’t flow,” Wolff said “But when it heats up and melts, all of a sudden it starts to move.”

Hotter magma down below heats up the mush. As it melts, it gets really hot. Since it’s the hottest thing around, it starts rising through a big tube in the volcano.

Until then, the mush just sits and waits. It can sit for tens of thousands of years. Under some volcanoes, the mush columns go all the way down to the top of Earth’s mantle. That’s about 20 miles deep.

Beneath Yellowstone National Park there is enough of this mush to fill about ten Grand Canyons. Yellowstone National Park is actually a super volcano. It stretches through parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. When the volcano blew thousands of years ago, it collapsed into itself. It formed a deep crater called a caldera.

Wolff actually tracks patterns of very hot spots under parts of southern Idaho. Earth’s rocky shell can move around and shift over time. It’s what scientists call plate tectonics. Parts of southern Idaho used to exist right over where Yellowstone National Park is today.

Wolff’s work also helps predict when volcanic eruptions will happen. Scientists don’t think Yellowstone will blow anytime soon. But when it does, the super volcano will create a super eruption.

We might not always think about it, but there are about half a dozen volcanoes erupting almost all the time. That’s a lot of magma spewing out from our planet’s volcanic lakes, oceans, mountains, and calderas.

Wolff says your question about what lies beneath volcanoes is a really good one.

“In one way or another, your question is the one most of us who work on volcanic rocks are trying to study,” he explains.

Graylon, you might just be a future scientist.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

Have a question? Ask Dr. Universe. You can send her an e-mail at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu or visit her website at askDrUniverse.com .

Fruitport Charter Township Board of Trustees — September 14, 2015

FRUITPORT CHARTER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

The regular meeting of the Fruitport Charter Township Board was called to order by Supervisor Brian Werschem at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 14, 2015, in the township board room.

Supervisor Werschem opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.

Members Present: Brian Werschem, Supervisor; Carol Hulka, Clerk; Rose Dillon, Treasurer; Trustees Ron Becklin, Dave Markgraf, Marjorie Nash and Chuck Whitlow. Members Absent: No one

Also Present: 0 -township residents; o-employees; Public Safety Director, Doctor; DPW Director, Farrar; Eric Van Dop, Brickley DeLong; and State Representative Holly Hughes.

The board meeting minutes of August 24, 2015—regular meeting—was approved as presented.

The board meeting agenda for September 14, 2015, was approved as presented.

CORRESPONDENCE / REPORTS

1) Michigan Township Legislative up-dates
2) On August 19,2015, the Muskegon County Road Commission abandoned and discontinued Ellis Road,
between Harvey Street and Quarterline Road, as a County road.
3) Three notices of public hearings for the month September were received from Michigan Gas Utilities
Corp.

PUBLIC COMMENTS—none

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

15-087 Amendment to Bendzinski and Co. Contract
Ron Becklin moved, seconded by Rose Dillon, MOTION CARRIED, to adopt the amended Bendzinski & Co. contract regarding bonding. In addition to submitting the Township’s Annual Information Statement and Audited Financial Statements to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) through Electronic Municipal Market Access (“EMMA”), Bendzinski & Co. also agrees to submit Fruitport’s portion of the West Michigan Regional Water Authority’s audited financial statements to the MSRB through EMMA.

Ayes: Becklin, Dillon, Nash, Hulka, Markgraf, Whitlow, Werschem Nays: None

15-088 2014 – 2015 Audit Presentation
Eric Van Dop, CPA and Senior Manager from the firm of Brinkley DeLong, PLC, gave an overview and analysis of the financial activities of the Township for the Fiscal Year ending March 2015. At the end of the analysis of the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year, the governmental funds reported a total General Fund balance of $1,403,026.

The motion by Dave Markgraf, seconded by Marjorie Nash, was Carried Unanimously, to accept the audit presentation and findings for Fiscal Year ending March 2015, and enter these into public record.

15-089 Payment of Bills
Dave Markgraf moved, supported by Carol Hulka, MOTION CARRIED, to approve bills for payment in the following amounts: General Fund and Parks: $22,223.59; Public Safety: $13,180.23; Water: $18,549.20; Sewer $24,782.01 Total: $78,735.03

Ayes: Markgraf, Hulka, Dillon, Nash, Whitlow, Becklin, Werschem Nays: None

PUBLIC COMMENTS / REPORTS
Through a grant and efforts of the Fruitport Village Council, Fruitport Village received 16 trees for planting. The Village only needing 6 trees gave 10 trees to the Township that were then planted at the soccer field on Sheringer Road.

Holly Hughes, State Representative in the 91^st District, gave an informational overview of the legislative happenings in Lansing.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35p.m.

CAROL HULKA, CLERK BRIAN WERSCHEM, SUPERVISOR

The Muskegon Area Arts and Humanities Festival 2015 Has Begun!

The Muskegon Area Arts and Humanities Festival (ahfest) is back for the whole month of October 2015. Celebrating the theme of “Myth and Reality”, ahfest, as a month-long “exploration”, brings together over 15 different area arts and humanities groups to examine more closely what the arts and humanities mean to the wider community in Muskegon County. Events during the month range from art exhibits to theater productions to educational opportunities specifically for kids. All the events, members, and information on the festival can be found at the festival website, www.ahfest.org.

This year festival offerings cast a wide net through many disciplines in the arts and humanities. They include:

Artists Announced for Art in 8!
Art in 8 will be held Oct. 10 at 9:00 a.m. at the Muskegon Farmer’s Market (Indoor Facility). Eight artists will have eight hours to create a new piece of art from a variety of known and unknown materials provided for them. Join us throughout the day and vote for your favorite piece of new art. The eight artists participating are Mary Jo Westenberg, Kathie Thompson, Jeffery Van Dyke, Ken Foster, Renee Therriault, Sarajane Fellini, Jon Workman and Jessamy Anna Hulings. The winner will be announced during a reception to follow the event at 4:30-6:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public!

ahfest Film Series
Life of Pi, Oct. 7 at 6:00 p.m. at MCC Room 1100
Birdman, Oct. 14 at 6:00 p.m. at MCC Room 1100
Peaceable Kingdom, Oct. 14 at 6:00 p.m. at the Muskegon Museum of Art
Seven Psychopaths, Oct. 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Muskegon Museum of Art

The Collins Foundation
The Letterman will perform a free concert, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Frauenthal. Tickets are available beginning on October 5.

Frauenthal Center
The Buster Keaton Film Festival takes place on Oct. 3 at 8:00 p.m.
The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform on Oct. 20 at 7:30.

Lakeshore Museum Center
October Tours of Historic Sites are free for Muskegon residents.
The Lumber Barons’ Ball takes place on Oct 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hackley Administration Building.

MAISD
K-12 Visual Art Teacher Exhibit and Art Contest all month with a reception on Oct 1 at 5:00 p.m. at the Bettye Clark Cannon Gallery at the Frauenthal.

Muskegon Civic Theater
Moonlight and Magnolias will be presented Oct. 1-2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Beardley Theater.
Muskegon Has Talent, Oct. 24 at 6:00 p.m. at Fruitport Golf and Banquet Center.

Muskegon Community College
Art Exhibit: Myth and Reality – Drawings by Patricia Hendricks Constantine at Overbrook Art Gallery. A reception will take place on Oct 14 at 6:00 p.m.
The Play Big Love by Charles L. Mee will be presented Oct. 14-18 at Overbrook Theater. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 3:00 p.m. Sunday.
The play The Haunting of Hackley House by Bill Iddings and Teri Nine is presented on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Overbrook Theater.

Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce
Watch Muskegon Community Image Dialogues will take place on Oct. 13 at 6:00 p.m at the White Lake Community Library and Oct. 20 6:00 p.m. at the Muskegon Community College Blue and Gold Room.
Business for Breakfast is Oct. 23 at 7:30 a.m. at Holiday Inn Downtown.

Muskegon Museum of Art
Doorways: A Passage through the Permanent Collection, through Oct. 11.
Fine Craft from the Permanent Collection, through Oct. 25.
Extreme Fiber: Textile Icons and the New Edge, through Nov 1.
The Art of Gettysburg and the Civil War, through Oct. 25.
Appraisal Fair, Oct. 24.
Freestyle: The Art of the Snowboard, opens Oct. 29.

Muskegon Writers’ Center
Three Fierce, Fun, Female Poets, Oct. 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Frauenthal.

West Michigan Symphony
The concert season opens with East Meets West on Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Frauenthal.
The Symphony presents Igudesman and Joo – And Now Mozart on Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Frauenthal.
The School For Scandal is presented on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at The Block.

Celebrating the great offerings in the arts in humanities, the festival began in 2001 under the leadership of Richard Charles Ford, an ardent advocate for recognition of the benefits of having an active arts and humanities community in Muskegon County. Since 2001, the festival has explored a theme each year chosen by committee; some of which have included Good and Evil (2002), Freedom and Privacy (2004), Tradition and Change (2008), Self (2010) and Home(2011). The choice of theme is intended to spark creativity in the wider community and inspire us to ask questions and discuss what our lives look like in terms of that particular theme.

ahFest is proud to be continuing the tradition of celebrating and supporting the arts and humanities in Muskegon country and facilitating opportunities for our wider community to come together each year. All information can be found on the website, www.ahfest.org.

Listen. See. Read. Discuss.
Muskegon Area Arts and Humanities Festival
October 2015 ahfest.org

For questions or interviews, please contact:

Sheila Wahamaki, Festival Chair
sheila.wahamaki@muskegoncc.edu
231-777-0323

Muskegon County Calendar of Events 10/05/15-10/11/15

Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau

10/05/2015 – 10/09/15 Aladdin
‎Nuveen Theatre Arts Presents ‘Aladdin’! This workshop and play is for grades K-6. Auditions are October 5 from 4:00-6:00pm with rehearsals taking place October 6-9 from 4:00-8:15pm. The show will be October 9 at 3:00pm and 5:00pm at the Howmet Playhouse. The cost is $40. Call 231-893-2787 for more information.

10/05/2015 – 10/31/15 October Tours are Free for Muskegon Residents!
October 1-31 is Free Tour Month for Muskegon County Residents at the Hackley & Hume, Firebarn and Scolnik House historic sites! The sites are open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00am-4:00pm and Sundays from 12:00-4:00pm. For more information, call 231-722-7578.

10/05/2015 & 10/12/15 – Autumn Lighthouse Tours
October 5 and 12 from 11:00am-3:00pm and every Saturday in October from 3:00-6:00pm, you can tour the South Pier Lighthead at Pere Marquette Beach! Tour the light and see the shoreline color change from this 48 ft. tower. Admission is $2-$4. Children must be 3 ft. tall to climb the tower. For more information, call 844-654-4487. To become a Lighthouse Keeper, e-mail muskegonlights@gmail.com.

10/06/2015 – Canoeing in Michigan
‎Join us as PBS-featured author and life-long Michigan resident Doc Fletcher presents his hour-long 2014 canoeing and kayaking program, “Canoeing in Michgan”. You don’t have to be a paddling enthusiast to enjoy the program, but you may become one by the time the evening ends. At the end of Doc’s time with us, a free drawing will be held and one person will win a gift certificate good for a free canoe or kayak day trip. The use of the boats and drop-offs/pick-ups are donated by liveries (canoe/kayak rentals) in towns across Michigan. The trip winner will be drawn at random from the other half of tickets handed out to attendees as they arrive
for the program. Canoe/kayak livery brochures & state maps will be made available to assist program attendees in planning river trips. For those interested, Doc will sign and sell copies of his many published books on canoeing and kayaking in Michigan and Wisconsin. www.hackleylibrary.org

10/06/2015 – White Lake Classical Series
‎As part of the White Lake Classical Series, you’re invited to the Book Nook & Java Shop, Tuesday, October 6 ar 7:00pm for live music from Brian Carter on horn with special guests Sondra Cross, Brian DeYoung and Bryan Uecher. The cover is $5. For more information, call 231-894-5333.

10/07/2015 – Greater Muskegon Woman’s Club 125th Anniversary Tea
The Greater Muskegon Woman’s Club invites you to join them for their 125th Anniversary Tea, October 7 at 1:00pm. Make your reservations by calling 231-788-3050 or e-mail karinc1146@yahoo.com.

10/07/2015 – Intermediate Watercolor Seminar
‎The Arts Council of White Lake invites you to an Intermediate Watercolor Seminar to enhance your painting skills with Linda Busse, October 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 5:30-7:00pm at the Nuveen Center. The cost is $40. Call 231-894-2787 to reserve your spot.

10/07/2015 – Film: Life of Pi @Muskegon Community College
‎Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee (Rated PG)

Synopsis: A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.

Each evening will begin with a commentary about the film and director by Mary Tyler, English and film instructor from Muskegon Community College, followed by a viewing of the film, and then a group discussion. These films are only suitable for mature audiences. For more information, call 231-773-9131.

Room 1100. Free popcorn!

10/08/2015 – Brown Bag Film – Craft in America: Threads
‎Thursday, October 8 at 12:15pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the Brown Bag Film, “Craft in America: Threads.” (60 mins.) From the beginning, craft has been a combination of function, ornamentation, and message. Threads investigates all of these aspects of the fiber arts with storytelling through textiles that speak to the creativity of the human spirit. Brown Bag film admission is free. Complimentary coffee and cookies are provided. You are welcome to bring your lunch. For more information, call 231-720-2570.

10/08/2015 & 10/11/2015 – Braveheart Raptor Rehabilitation Center Open House
Braveheart Raptor Rehabilitation Center invites you to visit them from 1:00pm-4:00pm to learn all about the facility, the birds, and what they do. Guests will also get to see the permanent resident birds, and touch real artifacts! In addition to the free handouts about preserving the environment for raptors and other conservation information, you can purchase T-shirts, raptor bookmarks, and notecards with photos of their ambassador birds. For more information, call 231-821-9125 or check them out on Facebook!

10/08/2015 – Writers in Resonance Reading
October 8 at 6:00pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for “Writers in Resonance Reading.” Writers in Resonance, a group of Muskegon area writers that meets as a critique group at the MMA, will host a fun evening of contemporary poetry and writing of all kinds. This FREE public event will feature live readings, including ekphrastic responses to art from the MMA’s permanent collection. Refreshments will be provided as well as a cash bar. For more information, call 231-720-2570.

10/09/2015 – 10/11/15 Harvest Festival
‎Campers are invited to the Harvest Festival at the Channel Campground inside Muskegon State Park, Friday through Sunday, October 9-11. There’s a hotdog roast Friday from 6:00pm until all the hotdogs are gone! Saturday, start with morning coffee followed by two hours of activities for the children including the egg toss, marshmallow eating contest, pumpkin bowling and a parade! Smokey the Bear will be there for the scavenger hunt, trick or treating and more. For more information, e-mail Mary Lou at retired-2@att.net.

10/09/2015 – Make It Take It
‎October 9 from 10:00am-3:00pm, come to Michigan’s Heritage Park for “Make It Take It”! Stick stockades is the theme of this month’s event. Participants will learn about the Civilian Conservation Corps’ role in building the blockhouse and have an opportunity to build their own stockade. For $5, they may take their stockade home, or leave it for the next visitor. For more information, call 231-894-0342.

10/09/2015 – 10/31/15 Haunted Hall
Haunted Hall, one of the county’s oldest haunted attractions, is back in 2015, and this year will be bigger and better than ever, featuring the “Murder Castle”, “Cellar of Torture” and “The

Woods”. This event is not recommended for children under 12. The horror is happening at the Muskegon County Fairgrounds, 6621 Heights Ravenna Rd. in Fruitport Township, Fridays and Saturdays, October 2-31. This year’s theme is “The Magnificent Helms Hotel”. For more ghoulish details, visit hauntedhall.com.

10/09/2015 – Three Fierce, Fun, Female Poets!
‎October 9 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm, come to the Frauenthal Theater for “Three Fierce, Fun, Female Poets!” Doors open at 6:00pm for book sales, cash bar, and live music. Sharon Olds is the author of eight volumes of poetry. Her poetry, says Michael Ondaatje, is “pure fire in the hands,” and David Leavitt in the Voice Literary Supplement describes her work as “remarkable for its candor, its eroticism, and its power to move.” With sensuality, humor, sprung rhythm, and stunning imagery, she expresses truths about domestic and political violence, sexuality, family relationships, love, and the body. Often compared to “confessional” poets, she has been much praised for the courage, emotional power, and extraordinary physicality of her work. For mature audiences only. $10 HS/College Students; $15 All Others – Tickets available at Frauenthal Theater Box Office or 800-585-3737.

10/09/2015 – Performances @The Block: The School for Scandal
Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10 at 7:30pm, come to the Block as West Michigan’s only Shakespearian touring group, Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, bring a comedy of manners to The Block. The story about the behavior and customs of upper classes, is told through witty dialogue with comic situations that satirize the malicious gossip and hypocrisy in the fashionable society of London in the 1770s. This Restoration period play was first performed in 1777 in Drury Lane Theatre, London. The performances at The Block are a precursor to the WMS concert in November that will feature the 1931 overture of the same name by composer Samuel Barber. Call Rita at 231-726-3231 x223 for tickets and more information. Doors and bar open at 6:30.

10/10/2015 – Hike for the Hungry
October 10, please join the Muskegon Rescue Mission, Love INC and Catholic Charities as they partner together for the 4th Annual Hike for the Hungry at Heritage Landing in downtown Muskegon. This beautiful park features gorgeous water views making it a pleasure for walkers and runners alike. Sign up now and start raising money for a great cause. Come on your own or form a team. Check-in begins at 9:00am at Heritage Landing.

All monies raised help support Muskegon Rescue Mission, Love INC and Catholic Charities in their efforts to feed the hungry in West Michigan. Whether you sign on as a walker, a donor or both, your participation will help bring relief to your hungry neighbors in Muskegon. 100% of the proceeds raised from this event will stay in Muskegon County. For additional information or to ask questions contact Muskegon Rescue Mission at 231-727-6090 or via email to jboes@muskegonmission.org.

10/10/2015 – Fall Pumpkin Fest
Always held on the 2nd Saturday in October, Pumpkinfest features pumpkin pie baking contests, seed spitting contests, pumpkin painting and carving contests and the festival favorite, the Pumkin Roll down Dowling Hill with over 700 contestants of all ages. Registration for the roll begins at 9:30am. The White Lake Senior Center will have food specials to go along with vendors selling elephant ears, hot dogs, pizzas, candied apples, etc. For more information, call the White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at 231-893-4585.

10/10/2015 – Depot to Depot Fall Color Tour
Gather your family and friends to experience the vibrant Fall colors at the Depot-to-Depot Fall Color Tour! This free, self-guided tour happens the first 3 Saturdays in October from 10:00am – 4:00pm. “Color Tourers” can pick up a map at either the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau, located in the historic Union Depot at 610 W. Western Ave. in downtown Muskegon, or at the White Lake Area Chamber/CVB at the Whitehall Depot, 124 W. Hanson St. in downtown Whitehall. Using the map as a guide, you’ll have the opportunity to visit stops along the way to win great prizes! Refreshments will be served at both the Muskegon and Whitehall Depots, and kids will receive a free pumpkin that they can decorate on-the-spot. For more information, call 231-724-3100.

10/10/2015 – Art in 8
As part of Muskegon Community College’s “Ahfest”, you’re invited to the Muskegon Farmer’s Market October 10 from 10:00am-6:00pm for “Art in 8.” Eight Muskegon area artists will have eight hours to create a new original work of art based on this year’s theme Myth and Reality. The winning work and artist are selected by popular vote and announced at the public reception at the end of the day. Admission is free. www.muskegonfarmersmarket.com

10/10/2015 – Youth Art Fair
The Nuveen Community Center for the Arts is once again offering students aged 8-18 the opportunity to sell their artistic creations at a youth art fair on Saturday, October 10. The art fair, held concurrently with Montague’s famous Pumpkin Roll, will run from 10:00am-1:00pm on Ferry St. Participation is free, but pre-registration is required. Tables will be available on a first come, first served basis. Registration information may be found at www.artswhitelake.org or by calling 231-894-2787.

The public is encouraged to stop by the Youth Art Fair during the Pumpkin Roll to browse a wonderful selection of hand-crafted items and support the artistic young entrepreneurs in our community.

10/10/2015 – Extreme Crafts Super Saturday
October 10 from 11:00am-3:00pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for an Extreme Crafts Super Saturday! This Free Family Fun Day is all about crafts and fibers at this Super Saturday!

11:00 am & 1:00 pm Film: Faith Ringgold: The Last Story Quilt (28 mins.)

11:00 am – 1:00 pm Guided Exhibition Tours

Explore Extreme Fibers: Textile Icons and the New Edge with a Museum docent.

11:00 am – 2:00 pm Make & Take

Get inspired by the edgy fiber artists in Extreme Fibers and then try your own hand at making a funky basket by weaving with cool recycled materials.

For more information, call 231-720-2570.

10/10/2015 – City of the Dead
Harbor Unitarian Universalist Congregation will host their sixth annual City of the Dead walking tour of Muskegon’s historic Evergreen Cemetery, 391 Irwin Ave. on October 10 from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Experience for yourself the romance, tragedy, curiosity and dedication in the story of Muskegon’s citizens from the past as congregation members perform historic re-enactments. Cost is $5 for adults and children under 6 are FREE. For more information, call 231-282-0571.

10/10/2015 – Lumber Baron’s Ball
October 10 from 6:00-10:00pm, you’re invited to the Lumber Baron’s Ball at the Hackley Administration Building. Join the Lakeshore Museum Center as they “Explore a Future that Brings Great Things Together”. Steampunk attire is encouraged. Research at www.lakeshoremuseum.org/LBB15. Enjoy live and silent auctions, a wonderful dinner and entertainment. Tickets are $85 for individuals, $170 for couples and corporate sponsorships are also available by calling 231-722-0278. Your support of this year’s event supports the future of history of the Lakeshore Museum Center.

10/10/2015 – Lumberjacks Hockey Home Game!
After finishing second in the chase for the USHL’s top prize – the Clark Cup, the Lumberjacks are back this season again to play tonight against the Madison Capitols. The puck drops at 7:15pm. This will be a “Fozen/Spiderman Night” with team magnet giveaways. Be there to support our hockey. GO JACKS! LC Walker Arena is located at 955 Fourth St., in downtown Muskegon.

10/11/2015/ – Lakeshore Bridal Expo 2015
FREE Admission to the Lakeshore Bridal Expo at the Muskegon Country Club Sunday October 11 from 1:00p4:00pm. This is FREE and open to the public. The country club is located at 2801 Lakeshore Dr. Pre-register at www.LakeshoreBridalExpo.com

Ongoing Events:

Armchair Archeology
‎”Armchair Archaeology: From Hobby to History” is on display at the Lakeshore Museum Center! The exhibit explores early archaeology practices and philosophies that would be considered controversial today and showcases the local men who did it right. The exhibit features ten Muskegon residents from the late 1800s to early 1940s who were working in the area to learn about who and what was living here before them. Artifacts on display from the local digs include pottery shards, arrowheads, projectile points, and tools. Visitors will have an opportunity to take a seat and spend some time reading books and journal articles written by and about the men featured in the exhibit. www.lakeshoremuseum.org

Rootdown Yoga
Rootdown Juice & Greens Bar offers high-energy, heated and music filled Power Vinyasa (flow) Yoga classes every day of the week. This style of yoga is accessible to everyone regardless of age, ability or experience. For class times and descriptions, please visit www.rootdown.in.

Myth and Reality: Drawings by Patricia Hendricks Constantine
‎As part of Ahfest, come to Muskegon Community College’s Overbrook Art Gallery for Myth and Reality: Drawings by Patricia Hendricks Constantine” through October 30. This solo show featuresg recent works on the ahFest theme by Kendall College of Art and Design Professor. There’ll be a free public reception Wednesday, October 14, 6:00 – 7:30pm, followed by an Artist’s Gallery Talk at 6:30pm. For more information, call 231-777-0344.

Pennants on Display
Pennants from the collection of Peggy Tully are now on display in the Collectors Corner at the Lakeshore Museum Center. Her collection showcases pennants collected in the late 1940s and early 1950s from all over the United States and Canada. Starting with the collector’s hometown of Marshall, Michigan all the way to the Grand Canyon and beyond. This collection will be on display through the end of February 2016. The museum is open weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00pm. For more information, call 231-722-0278 or visit lakeshoremuseum.org.

Reading by Any Means Necessary
You’re invited to the James Jackson Museum of African American History for the “Reading…by any means necessary” program, every Monday through Saturday from 2:00-5:30pm. The museum is located at 7 E. Center St. in Muskegon Heights. Call 231-739-9500 for more information.

The Art of Gettysburg and the Civil War
Come to the Muskegon Museum of Art, Mondays through October 19 from 6:00-8:00pm for the lecture series, “The Art of Gettysburg and the Civil War.” Muskegon Community College Art Instructor Tim Norris and History Instructors Kurt Troutman and George Maniates will present a voyage through Civil War American art and history. A special exhibition of Civil War era and related art will be on display in the Muskegon Museum of Art’s Tuttle Gallery to complement this program. Auditorium doors open at 5:30pm. The cost is $10 per lecture. Pay at the door in the MMA Gift Store. For more information, visit muskegonartmuseum.org.

DOORWAYS: A Passage through the Permanent Collection
As part of Muskegon Community College’s Ahfest, “DOORWAYS: A Passage through the Permanent Collection” is on display at the Muskegon Museum of Art through October 11. Building exhibitions around works from the permanent collection is a high priority. These study shows are often organized thematically and developed to expand our knowledge and appreciation of artworks in the MMA’s ever-expanding quality holdings. Through a selection of paintings, sculpture, prints, and photographs, Doorways addresses, even challenges, our preconceived notions of doors as common thresholds we cross into our homes and workplaces. For more information, call 231-720-2570.

CHALLENGING TRADITION: Fine Craft from the Permanent Collection
As part of Muskegon Community College’s Ahfest, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art through October 25 for “CHALLENGING TRADITION: Fine Craft from the Permanent Collection”. This exhibit showcases some of the best contemporary craft works in collection of the Muskegon Museum of Art, including works in fiber, metal, and stone. These artists, as well as many others represented in the show, speak both to the enduring legacies of craft and the continuing innovation and creativity of today’s artists. For more information, call 231-720-2570.

EXTREME FIBER: Textile Icons and the New Edge
‎”Extreme Fiber: Textile Icons and the New Edge” examines the state of fibers and textiles in the fine art world today. As part of Muskegon Community College’s Ahfest, the artworks on display will reveal the diversity of this fine craft movement, and its transformation into a multi-media and discipline-spanning phenomenon through November 1. Participating artists are well-known visionaries in the field.

Joining the works of these masters will be a group of artworks selected from juried submissions received from artists around the world. Works from new and established artists will thus be seen alongside the contemporary art of the artists that helped to define the movement. The exhibition will include tapestries, quilts, weavings, sculpture, basketry, and a host of other forms, from the functional to the fully-abstracted.

This exhibition has been organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art with guest curator Geary Jones. Underwritten by Bayer CropScience. For more information, call 231-720-2570.

Muskegon Farmer’s Market
Enjoy their bustling market opening their outdoor season on Saturday, May 2! Hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Power of Produce will start up again Saturday June 6 – October 31, 2015, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with activities 10:00 – Noon on Saturdays only. This is a membership club for kids, ages 5 – 12 yrs. They learn about healthy eating and can purchase their own fresh produce. www.muskegonfarmersmarket.com

Muskegon Heights Farmer’s Market
The Muskegon Heights Farmer’s Market will offer a variety of produce along with being a flea market. Starting May 2, the market will be open from 9:00am -1:00pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The market is lcoated on the corner of Baker and East Center Street.

Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun
‎With rapidly improving telescope technology, hundreds of planets have been found orbiting stars beyond our solar system. Are any of these exoplanets like Earth? Can they support life? How will this change our view of the universe? These questions will be explored in a NEW planetarium program at Muskegon Community College (room 135, 221 S. Quarterline Rd, Muskegon). No reservations are needed for this free show, which runs August 25 – October 29 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. (doors open by 6:45), and includes a brief planetarium dome demonstration of the current night sky. 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.

Muskegon City Flea Market
The City Flea Market will open for Wednesday, May 6 from 6:00am-3:00pm. They are located at 700 Yuba Street. There are many booths of products you can only imagine! They are open every Wednesday through October 28. www.muskegonfarmersmarket.com

Open Public Tours at the MMA
‎Thursdays in October from 1:00–3:00pm, the Muskegon Museum of Art is offering Open Public Tours! Drop in for docent-led tours of the MMA’s major fiber art exhibition and a complementary show of examples of fine studio craft art, drawn from museum holdings. For more information, visit www.muskegonartmuseum.org.

APICS-Grand Rapids Professional Development Meeting

APICS-Grand Rapids Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Professional Development Meeting

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – APICS, the Grand Rapids Chapter, will be hosting the professional development meeting on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at the GVSU University Club, 107C DeVos Center – Building C Grand Valley State University Pew Campus, 401 Fulton Street West, Downtown Grand Rapids. The evening begins at 5:00 PM with registration and networking, dinner at 6:00 PM, and the speaker at 7:00 PM. Carrie Van Daele will present “Are You Struggling to Keep Up with the Demand?”

Reservations must be received by Noon on Friday, October 9th. Cost for APICS members is $28.00; non-members $35.00 and students $7.00. Reservations can be made online at www.apics-gr.org or email to admin@apics-gr.org. Parking information on our website.

For more information regarding the Chapter’s Professional Development Meetings and speakers, please visit our website at: www.apics-gr.org.

6th Annual City of the Dead Walking Tour

Muskegon Harbor Unitarian Universalist Congregation to hold the 6^Th annual City of the Dead walking tour of Muskegon’s historic Evergreen Cemetery.

The HUUC is, again presenting historic re-enactments of City of Muskegon founders and historic figures at their grave sites in historic Evergreen Cemetery. The likes of J. B. McCracken and the “Slave Stealer” Captain Jonathan Walker will be re-enacted at their grave sites in the cemetery. Others portraying historic figures will guide small groups from place to place for reenactments at the grave sites.

Photography by Jay Luptak – www.jgallerie.com

People experiencing the tour in past years were pleasantly surprised at how informative the reenactments are, and at how much fun it was. Many expressed appreciation for the great research efforts made on the various historic figures and that the re-enactments tell their stories with pride and humor. Many characters represented are former makers of the community of Muskegon. Several additional, colorful and interesting characters are presented.

For example; John, B. McCracken is a readily recognizable name. But did you know that, although he liked to keep his name out of the local paper, he was very proud of the temperance movement he started? This movement included pledging to refrain from consumption of alcohol as well as establishment of Muskegon’s first stage and opera house and a reading room. These gave the lumbermen and river men something to do besides drink their season’s wages away in the many saloons in the rough and tumble early years of Muskegon’s lumber era. McCracken helped to make Muskegon a better place for all citizens and helped to shape Muskegon into what it is today.

There are others, such as Thomas Hume and Captain Jonathan Walker, the “Man With The Branded Hand”. Walker was imprisoned in the South before the Civil War for attempting to steal slaves, wrote a popular journal of his imprisonment and had a popular poem written about him by John Greenleaf Whittier (titled; “The Man With The Branded Hand”). He later settled in Muskegon and after his death over 6,000 people came to Evergreen Cemetery to hear the invocation by Fotius Fisk. Fisk was the chaplain of the US Navy and a friend to Walker, and donated the obelisk that, still, stands at the north entrance to the cemetery.

Some new characters this year include Dr. Lucy Eames, the first woman physician in Muskegon County; Nelson DeLong a prominent lawyer who supported the “10 hours or no sawdust” strike by lumber mill workers and won two terms as mayor of Muskegon; James Snow telling the colorful story of the short man on a white mule riding into town during celebrations of the end of the Civil War and many more.

Visitors taking the tour are in for a real treat. They will learn a great deal about Mr. McCracken and his many peers, having fun while learning that each of the very real persons who helped Muskegon grow had a sense of humor.

The City of the Dead honors those calling Muskegon home long before us. Through very extensive research these very engaging stories have emerged from the record, and are revealed by the reenactments. . Stories of romance, tragedy, and curiosity are told, with a theme running throughout of great dedication by these founders towards making our city a better place.

The event will take place from 5 to 8PM on Saturday, October, 10^th 2014 at Evergreen Cemetery 400 Irwin Ave. Muskegon MI 49442.

The cost is $5.00 per participant, children under 6 are free.

Secretary of State Offices Join 25th Annual Harvest Gathering Food Drive

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson promotes participation

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today encouraged people across the state to participate in the 25th Annual Michigan Harvest Gathering food drive.

Johnson and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette joined the Food Bank Council of Michigan in promoting the campaign during an event at the Lansing City Market today. Schuette and his wife co-founded the annual effort in 1991.

“For 25 years, the Harvest Gathering campaign has seen the people of our great state stand together to not only feed the hungry but to bring them hope,” Johnson said. “Michigan families saw some dark days during those 25 years but Harvest Gathering has never let those families down. I want to thank everyone here today, from the people working the food banks to the truck drivers, sponsors and office workers, for keeping the momentum going.”

Johnson also praised Secretary of State staff for making the food drive so successful every year. Since 2011, Secretary of State offices have collected almost 30 tons of food donations. The Secretary of State portion of the Harvest Gathering campaign runs through Nov. 25 this year.

“Secretary of State offices throughout Michigan have provided vital outreach into local communities for this campaign,” said Phillip Knight, executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan. “Michigan Harvest Gathering could not be celebrating this milestone year without the support of such dedicated partners in hunger relief.”

In Michigan, 16 percent of households struggle to put food on the table and 21 percent of children don’t know where their next meal will come from, according to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. The organization coordinates the program, which supplies the state’s regional food banks through donations of food and money. The regional food banks serve food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in every Michigan county.

In 2014, the entire Michigan Harvest Gathering campaign collected 386,922 pounds (193 tons) of food and more than $375,000. This year, the campaign’s goal is to collect enough food and funds for two million meals.

Nonperishable food items with a valid expiration date can be dropped off at any Secretary of State office.

Food items especially needed include: canned meats, dry beans, soups, beef stew, pasta products, peanut butter and tuna. Other items include baby food or formula, diapers, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. The Food Bank requests donors avoid items in glass, as they often break in transit. Financial donations may be made online at www.feedmichigan.org.

For media questions, please call Gisgie Gendreau
or Fred Woodhams at 517-373-2520.
For more about the Secretary of State’s Office:

To find Secretary of State office locations and services, visit www.michigan.gov/sos. Sign up for the official Secretary of State Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/michsos and Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/michigansos. Online services are available at www.expresssos.com.

Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).

Engagement – Joseph Kolanowski and Jessica Hammond

Together with their parents, Jessica Jo Hammond and Joseph Brett Kolanowski would like to announce their engagement. Joe is the son of Debra and the late Joseph Kolanowski of Fruitport and Jessica is the daughter of Wayne and Carol Hammond of Middleville, and Robert and Jacqueline McMillan of Hastings. Joe is a 2001 graduate of Fruitport High School, with a Bachelor’s degree in History from Saginaw Valley State University and currently works at Shape. Jessica is a 2002 graduate from Hastings High School and has 2 certificates from Kellogg Community College and currently works at the Grand Rapids home for veterans.. A June 18, 2016 wedding is being planned at the Grand Haven Golf Club.

Planning Commission Meeting Agenda — 09/15/15

AGENDA: PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
FRUITPORT CHARTER TOWNSHIP
5865 AIRLINE RD, FRUITPORT, MI 49415

September 15, 2015 — 7:00 PM

01. Roll Call

02. Approval of Planning Commission Minutes: August 18, 2015

03. Approve / Amend Agenda

04. Correspondence / Reports

05. Public Comments pertaining to agenda topics

New Business

06. PUBLIC HEARING on ZONE CHANGE for Ryan & Melissa Myers

Parcel: 61-15-630-028-0006-00

Purpose: Zone change from R-4 to R-1

07. PUBLIC HEARING on SPECIAL USE for Subaru Autopark LLC

Parcel: 61-15-122-100-0015-10

Purpose: Renovations and improvements to the former Hansens Collision to Showroom and Service for My Imports – Subaru

Unfinished Business

08. Master Plan Update

09. Public Comments

10. Adjournment

The township will provide necessary reasonable aids and services for this meeting to individuals with disabilities by writing or telephoning the Township Clerk: Carol Hulka, Fruitport Charter Township, 5865 Airline Rd, Fruitport, MI 49415 (231) 865-3151.

Free Lettermen Concert

Ask Dr. Universe – Best Cookies in the Universe

How do we make the best chocolate chip cookies in the universe?

-Ms. Lori and students, Bismarck, ND

Dear Ms. Lori and students,

You’ve got to know your dough. Whether you want chewy cookies or crispy dunkers, it’s all about chemistry. Especially, when it comes to the flour.

At the wheat lab on the Washington State University campus where my friend Doug Engle works, scientists test out different kind of flours to find out which kind works best. They’ve got baking down to a science.

Different types of wheat grown in the west come into the lab for testing. Their first stop is the flourmill.

The machinery at the mill grinds up wheat kernels and makes them explode. When the kernels explode, they turn into tiny flour particles that will impact how the cookies look and taste.

While an explosion might sound like it damages the wheat kernel, it actually happens fast enough to keep tiny storage compartments for the long, sugary chains of molecules—the starches—from blowing apart. You need starch in your flour to help soak up the liquids in the dough and help give the cookies their form. If the storage compartment, or starch granule, breaks then liquids will flood the cookie.

Cookie structure also depends on proteins. Cookies have protein, but not a whole lot. So, unfortunately we can’t just make cookies for dinner.

Long stretchy chains of proteins help hold the dough together, and even trap tiny air bubbles. This gives the cookie the texture you can feel when you take a bite.

At the lab, scientists test out flour that comes from either hard or soft wheat kernels. Hard wheat is great for baking bread, but doesn’t work as well for cookies.

“What makes the best cookie is soft wheat,” Engle explained. “If you bite into a wheat kernel and if it’s softer, it will make a better cookie.”

All wheat started out soft, but over centuries, hard wheat developed. Scientists aren’t totally sure why there are two kinds, but they can tell them apart when they look closely at their structures.

Some of my mice friends helped with wheat research here at WSU. They tried both kinds and preferred soft wheat to hard wheat. We don’t know exactly why or how they can tell them apart, but soft wheat is easier for them to chew. Scientists, on the other hand, can use lab equipment to measure the differences.

In the wheat lab, they measure the quality of a cookie by how it spreads in the oven. Most cookie recipes call for all-purpose flour. Usually it contains mostly hard wheat flour so to balance out the dough they call for more water and butter.

With hard wheat, the starches suck up too much of the water in the dough and the cookie shrinks when it bakes. Soft wheat makes a cookie softer and bigger.

After talking to Engle about cookies, I was getting thirsty. Thankfully, the lab of cookies was just a short walk away from a place where you can find milk courtesy of the university dairy cows.

Sincerely,

Dr. Universe

Have a question? Ask Dr. Universe. You can send her an e-mail at Dr.Universe@wsu.eduor visit her website at askDrUniverse.com.

Drug Court Receives Federal Grant to Enhance Services

The 20th Circuit Court is pleased to announce the Adult Drug Treatment Court (drug court), a specialty program for non-violent felony offenders with acute substance-use disorders, received a 3-year federal grant award, totaling $920,000, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for fiscal years 2015-2017. The drug court was one of twelve programs nationwide to receive this award.

The grant is designed to enhance substance abuse treatment services available to drug court participants and to provide advanced training to court personnel and treatment providers. The grant allows the drug court to employ two peer recovery coaches to provide case management services for drug court participants. Grant funds will also be used to host regional training events designed to enable criminal justice and substance use disorder treatment agencies to respond more effectively to the growing problem of heroin and prescription medication abuse.

Reflecting the community at-large, the drug court has experienced a sharp increase in the number of participants addicted to heroin and/or opiate pain medications. The support provided by peer recovery coaches, coupled with specialized training, positions the drug court to be a West Michigan leader in assisting opiate addicted persons in the criminal justice system.

A study conducted by Grand Valley State University in 2014 demonstrated that the drug court significantly reduces new crime and repeated drug use among high risk and high need offenders, such as persons addicted to heroin and opiate prescription medications. 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.

This time-limited SAMHSA grant will enhance services available through the drug court. The drug court’s continued operation, however, remains dependent on state grant dollars and the continued financial support of Ottawa County.

Local Businesses Partner to Bring New Bicycles to Muskegon Boys & Girls Club Youth

Muskegon, MI – Twelve members of the newly established Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore received a big surprise on Wednesday afternoon. Celebration Cinema and Family Fitness of Muskegon teamed up to give new Huffy Bicycles to twelve Muskegon youth who attend The Boys & Girls Club. Their goal is to assist the youth in their health, and to give them the ability to commute from home to the Club which is located in Nelson Elementary School. Boys & Girls Clubs across the state are teaming up with a program called Healthy Michigan Today and the donation of these bikes fit directly within it. This program aims to promote healthy lifestyles for Boys & Girls Club members and their families through statewide implementation of Triple Play, BeFit Festivals and Health Screenings.

The twelve youth and family members were under the impression that they would be attending solely to watch a free movie, donated by Celebration Cinema. Once the movie ended Club Staff Member TJ Chappel led the group towards the bikes to reveal the secret. Representatives of Celebration Cinema, Tim Luce, Scott Goetz, and Craig Tyson announced that each of the 6 girls and 6 boys attending that day would take home a free bike!

The youth members who received free bicycles were chosen by Boys & Girls Club Staff based on criteria consisting of behavior, attendance, and academic improvement over the summer months at The Boys & Girls Club. Staff Member, TJ Chappel stated “The members we chose to receive the bikes dates back to our opening day in April and understanding those who could most benefit from having their own bike. The whole day was a buildup because the kids had no idea. It meant everything to me when we were finally able to give the kids their bikes. They deserve them!”

The Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore opened doors on April 20, 2015 after 15 years of preparation and fundraising. Their mission is to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential, as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.

For more information, contact Dakota Crow at 231-798-5048 or info@bgclubmuskegon.com.