Author Archives: editor

The Parmenter O’Toole Law Firm Announces New Associate Attorney

MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN – Parmenter O’Toole is proud to announce the addition of Matthew D. Mills as a new Associate Attorney.

Matthew is involved in all practice areas of the firm with the intention to concentrate his practice in the areas of litigation, business, and employee benefits. He received his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2014.

While in law school, Matt’s comment regarding the legalization of sports gambling was published in the University of Denver Sports and Entertainment Law Journal. Upon graduation, Matt received a certificate in criminal law with honors. Matt spent both his law school summers clerking at Parmenter O’Toole and a fall semester as an extern at the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prior to attending law school, Matt graduated Cum Laude from Western Michigan University in 2012 with a degree in Political Science. Matt is from North Muskegon, and could not be happier to begin his career in West Michigan.

When not practicing law, Matt enjoys being outdoors, golfing, and the company of his family and friends.

“Matt brings exceptional skill and energy to our firm and we are excited to have him on board,” adds Chris Kelly. “We are all especially thrilled when we can bring home grown talent back to West Michigan.”

Matt can be reached at (231) 722-5419 or MDM@parmenterlaw.com.

Muskegon Lakeshore 4th of July Celebration Explodes

Downtown Muskegon will be explode this 4^th of July as thousands of visitors flock to the popular Lakeshore Art Festival and RockStock Music Festival takes over Heritage Landing with music, food, beverage tent and 4^th of July Fireworks.

LAKESHORE ART FESTIVAL CONTINES TO GROW
The Lakeshore Art Festival received a record number of exhibitor applications for its third year. Event coordinators state that the festival will have more than 260 fine art and craft booths, nearly 20 food vendors, multiple street performers and several interactive art stations.

“We’re thrilled to have so many great artists returning to this year’s festival as well as a variety of new exhibitors,” says Lakeshore Art Festival Director, Carla Flanders. “The caliber of artists within the fine art section has been enhanced along with an innovative increase in creativity at the Children’s Lane. The Lakeshore Art Festival is a great destination event for all to enjoy, proving that downtown Muskegon is where you want to be 4th of July weekend!”

The Children’s Lane, themed “Step into Art”, will be completely interactive with a colorful scavenger hunt leading children through hands-on booths including drawing, story creation, sculpture making and free-form chalk expression.

Many favorites will also return to The Children’s Lane including the popular performance stage, Barnyard Express mobile educational farm center, Home Depot Builder’s Workshop, Arts & Carafes canvas painting and inflatables.

This year’s Children’s Lane is being coordinated by Fit4Mom Muskegon in partnership with the Muskegon YMCA and supported by Alcoa.

Throughout the rest of the art festival footprint, live and interactive art will abound with professional chalk artists demonstrating their masterpieces, street performers including musicians, magicians and more, Wine and Canvas painting classes and the Muskegon Center for the Arts community canvas project for all to participate in.

While the Lakeshore Art Festival fills the streets of Downtown Muskegon on July 3 and 4 from 10am-6pm, RockStock Music Festival will take the stage at Heritage Landing in the evening with local and regional music favorites, food vendors, a beverage tent, picnic area and 4^th of July fireworks.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR MUSKEGON ROCKSTOCK
Tickets are now on sale for Muskegon RockStock Music Festival taking over Heritage Landing on July 3 and 4 with gates opening at 5pm. Friday musical guests include the popular Crane Wives with special guest Bennett and Room Full of Elephants. Back by popular demand, Saturday night will feature Mega 80’s along with Let There Be Rock and The After Effect. The celebration will end with a Fourth of July fireworks display.

Tickets are just $5 per person, per night or $8 for a weekend pass. Veterans, active military, and kids 12 and under are all free. RockStock tickets are available at www.startickets.com or at the Frauenthal Box Office. Discounted ticket packages are available for Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce members. Chamber members can contact the Chamber at 231-722-3751 for discounted ticketing information.

The Muskegon Lakeshore Fourth of July Celebration is being coordinated by the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. The Lakeshore Art Festival and Muskegon RockStock could not happen without the support of local organizations including; DTE Energy, Tyler Sales, Nichols, Hines Corporation, Staples, The Muskegon YMCA, Fit4Mom Muskegon, Port City Group, ADAC Automotive, Alcoa, Northern Machine Tool, Consumers Energy, Mlive/The Muskegon Chronicle, Betten Auto Group, the Muskegon Museum of Art and The Community Foundation for Muskegon County.

Opportunities for sponsorship and volunteering are still available. More details on the events and how to get involved can be found at www.lakeshoreartfestival.org and www.muskegonrockstock.com. Also, be sure to follow both events on Facebook for daily updates as the Muskegon Lakeshore’s 4^th of July Celebration nears.

Muskegon’s Future 15 Emerging Leaders Recognized

Fifteen of the Muskegon Lakeshore’s up and coming young professionals were recognized for contributing to the growth and success of their company/organization and the positive impact they are making in the Muskegon Lakeshore community. Now in its third year, the Future 15 awards program recognizes emerging young leaders making a difference along the Muskegon Lakeshore.

More than 40 nominations were submitted for young professionals that live or work in Muskegon County. “This awards program is really flourishing,” says Cindy Larsen, President of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. “As the next generation of professionals is becoming more influential in our community, it is important that they are recognized for the contributions being made to the area’s economy and quality of life.”

A selection committee, consisting of seven young professionals that were among the 2014 Future 15 award recipients, gathered to determine who this year’s Future 15 would be. After careful review of the nominations, this year’s Future 15 emerging young leaders are as follows:

Joseph Crowley, Anderson Global
Frank Peterson, City of Muskegon
Andrew Zahrt, LongerDays.com
Josh Wallace, McKenzie-Price Agency, Inc.
Brittany Lenertz, Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana
Jonathan Wilson, Muskegon County Economic Development
Amber Cahill, Orchard View Adult Education
Don Kalisz, Revel
David Matuzeski, Riversedge Photography
Jennifer Vanderstelt, Service 1 Federal Credit Union
Kristi Kettler, Sparrow Boutique
Jamie Helsen, United Way of the Lakeshore
Mark Gongalski, Unruly Brewing Company and Rebel Pies
Laurel Sass, Watermark 920
Adam Zuwerink, West Michigan Law, P.C.

These 15 finalists were recognized at a Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours on June 18, 2015 at The Deck at Pere Marquette Beach.

This After Hours event was unique in the way it brought together our area’s young professionals. Not only were theFuture 15 awarded, but more than 50 area interns from 25 Muskegon companies attended as part of Interns on Deck.

In its sixth year, Interns on Deck gathers summer interns from Muskegon Lakeshore businesses and provides them with an opportunity to meet one another and tour the Muskegon Lakeshore community. The goal is to showcase what Muskegon has to offer in hopes that the interns will consider moving to or staying in Muskegon upon graduating college and completing their internship. The event is hosted by the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Alcoa Howmet.

Ask Dr. Universe – More Cancer These Days?

Why do people and animals get cancer more than they used to?
-Michael, Ceres, CA

Dear Michael,

A hundred years ago, human beings only lived to be about 50 years old. Now people are living longer, so there’s more time for cancer to develop in their bodies. That’s what I learned from my friend David Liu who researches cancer at Washington State University.

In the lab where Liu works, tiny bugs that don’t live very long at all are helping his team understand more about cancer in humans.

“The fruit fly has made a wonderful contribution to genetics and cancer research,” Liu said.

I’d heard a bit about cancer, but I was curious about genetics, too. Liu explained that humans and fruit flies have something in common. It’s not just that they enjoy a good serving of fruit. Both you and a fruit fly are made up of trillions of cells.

Inside each cell is information that determines the color of your hair, eyes, or other traits. It’s your DNA and it what makes you, well, you. You could find DNA in your blood, hair, or even in your boogers.

Information stored in DNA is passed down from parents to their babies, just like it is passed down from cats to kittens, or from fruit flies to their offspring. Liu uses fruit fly cells to learn how cells grow, die, and sometimes misbehave.

When I met up with my friend Janean Fidel, she told me more about cells. She’s a veterinarian at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital and takes care of my animal friends who are sick.

“Our wonderful bodies are made of cells,” Fidel said, “but those cells aren’t always perfect.”

DNA makes lots of copies of itself. Sometimes, the DNA inside cells will make a mistake. It’s a typo in the long line of instructions that tells the cells how to grow normally. Cancer-causing substances from smoking, sunlight, or other hazards in the environment sometimes lead to these mistakes, which can cause normal cells to become cancerous.

At the animal hospital where Fidel works, veterinarians are trying out an interesting technique to help detect cancer cells. A useful part of death-stalker scorpion venom can latch onto cancer cells and light them up.

Three dogs, Whiskey, Hot Rod, and Browning recently made a visit to WSU for cancer treatment. Browning had a cancerous tumor in her leg.

Instead of amputating the leg to prevent the cancer from spreading, veterinarians used the scorpion venom paint during surgery to light up the cancer cells. The glow let the surgeons know exactly where the cancer was and they removed the whole tumor. It helped save her life.

Understanding how the tumor paint works in dogs is also helping us understand how it could be used to detect cancer in humans. Learning about cancer in people has also improved the ways we understand cancer in pets. People and pets can be great partners in research.

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.

May is Cancer Research Month.

California Medical Association Abandons Opposition to Assisted Suicide

The California Medical Association (CMA) recently dropped their decades-long opposition to assisted suicide after a bill to legalize assisted suicide was introduced in California.

In their announcement the CMA says they are changing their position on assisted suicide to “neutral,” but the reasoning behind their statement uses the rhetoric of organization’s that promote the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia.

The CMA press release announcing their decision is filled with absurd attempts to gloss over their disregard for the lives of those considering suicide. Their arguments sound eerily like the rhetoric and euphemisms used to defend abortion-on-demand. Assisted suicide is called “physician aid-in-dying” or “end of life options.” The relationship between doctor and patient is exalted. Helping someone kill themselves is equated with methods of “treatment.”

Important issues that previously led the California Medical Association to oppose assisted suicide are not mentioned or refuted. Those issues include the potentials for abuse, the recognition that desire for suicide is not a rational decision, fears that legalizing assisted suicide could undermine hospice care, the uncertainly of medical diagnoses, and how assisted suicide violates the fundamental “do no harm” medical ethos.

On June 4, the California Senate voted in favor of a bill that would legalize assisted suicide in California for terminally-ill patients. If it passes the California State Assembly and is signed by Governor Jerry Brown, California would join the small group of states where assisted suicide is legal: Oregon, Washington and Vermont. In Montana, a judicial ruling prevents doctors from being prosecuted under state law if they help a patient kill themselves.

In 2012, 85 individuals in Oregon used lethal doses of prescription drugs to legally kill themselves. This number has risen nearly every year. The population of Oregon is roughly a tenth of California, meaning if California approves the assisted suicide law and individuals in California seek to kill themselves at the same rate as individuals in Oregon, then nearly 1000 assisted suicides a year could take place in California.

While the California Medical Association is the first state medical association group to announce they are “neutral” on physicians helping to kill patients, only time will time if they are the last as our society grows in its comfort with embracing suicide as an acceptable way to treat the weak and vulnerable.

Learn more about the dangers of assisted suicide and euthanasia at www.rtl.org.
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Secret Art Project Brings Sweet Surprise

MUSKEGON, MI — When storyboard artist Tim Holtrop made an illustration of a Deadworld character, Marah the leper, he didn’t know it would be used in such a tasteful way as product labels and packaging art for a zombie-themed soda pop.

Holtrop, who is no stranger to “secret” or confidential projects, wasn’t even told what would be done with the artwork he produced for long-time associate Gary Reed, but he was assured it would be good.

“I’ve worked with Gary on some pretty interesting projects in the past,” said Holtrop, “but this one turned out to be a real surprise! I had no idea he would be producing a Deadworld product like soda until he revealed it shortly before the product’s release.”

The Deadworld Premium Zombie Beverage is a limited edition release of all natural soda made up of 12 uniquely named flavors such as “Morbid Mix”,”Rot Berry”, and “Graveyard Delight”, each flavor featuring different original artwork for the images on the labels.

“The art I made was used for the Vanilla Root Beer flavor, ‘Slow Decay’,” said Holtrop. “When I received the samples of the Root Beer, I was excited by the quality of the packaging. The product looks great.” P1130972-adj_cr2_500w

What was even better, according to Holtrop, was that “the ingredients in the Vanilla Root Beer were simple, not full of hard to pronounce names, and there was no High Fructose Corn Syrup. The nutrition information was surprisingly good for something called ‘Slow Decay’!”

The sweetest surprise of all came when Holtrop opened a bottle and tasted the product inside. “It was delicious,” he said, “so good, I just had to share it with my family. They loved it too.”

Since the official release, stores in the Detroit, and eastern Michigan area have been stocking the soda line. More information about the soda, as well as a store and event locator, can be found on the Caprice Brands website: www.capricebrands.com

TimHoltrop-cr5-gr_300dpi Tim Holtrop draws a variety of subjects from “A to Z”, from cute cartoon animals to ugly undead zombies, and has worked on a variety of projects in film, TV, video games, advertising, publishing, and comics, including “OZ”, for Caliber Comics. Tim resides in West Michigan with his family, providing services to clients around the country, working from home and delivering art via e-mail / internet. Check out his work at timholtrop.com, follow him on Twitter @timholtrop, and Like his Facebook Page.

Behind the scenes: “Although the sample bottles I was sent showcase a character done by Don England, whose work looks great…I was given some labels with my art, so I wrapped one around a bottle for my photos…but, I’ve been told my label will be released soon.”

Fruitport Charter Township Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes of May 11, 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, May 11, 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 Dave Markgraf, Marjorie Nash and Chuck Whitlow. Members Absent: Trustee Ron Beckilin

Also Present: 3 -township residents; o-employees; Public Safety Director, Doctor, Attorney Springer, and Greg Mason, MTS

The motion by Dave Markgraf, supported by Rose Dillon, was carried unanimously, to approve the board meeting minutes for April 27, 2015—regular meeting—with the following correction:

Item 15-052 Second Reading and Adoption- Junk and Inoperable Vehicle Ordinance

Was: . . . to add a new Article IV to Chapter 6 of the Code of Ordinances, . . .
Correction: to add a new Article IV to Chapter 30 of the Code of Ordinances, . . .

The board meeting agenda for May 11, 2015, was approved as presented.

CORRESPONDENCE / REPORTS
Michigan Township Legislative up-date

PUBLIC COMMENTS—none

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
15-060 Lions Club Old Fashioned Days Agreement
Rose Dillon moved, supported by Marjorie Nash, MOTION CARRIED, to approve the Fruitport Lions Old Fashioned Days agreement as presented.

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

15-061 Second Reading and Adoption- Zoning Text Amendment Ordinance regarding Standards
for Reviewing Special Use Applications
Chuck Whitlow moved, supported by Rose Dillon, MOTION CARRIED, for the adoption of a resolution that will amend the zoning chapter of the code of ordinances by restating Section 42-157 of Chapter 42 concerning the general standards for reviewing special use applications. This Ordinance shall be effective 8 days after its publication as is required by Section 401 of Act 110, as amended, provided that the effective date shall be extended as necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 402 of Act 110, as amended. The new Ordinance number is 790.

This constitutes the second and final reading.

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

NEW BUSINESS- None

15-062 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: $54,421.90; Public Safety: $142,044.40; Water: 695,670.71; Sewer $25,895.72 Total: $918,032.73

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS / REPORTS
Fruitport Township clean-up days on May 1 and 2, resulted in approximately 300 yards of rubbish collected. The aluminum and brass was sorted.

County-wide tire clean-up on May 9 in Fruitport collected approximately 2,500 tires.

ADJOURNMENT
The motion by Rose Dillon, seconded by Dave Markgraf, was carried unanimously, to adjourn the meeting at 7:12 P.M.

CAROL HULKA, CLERK BRIAN WERSCHEM, SUPERVISOR

Harbor Hospice Regatta is Coming!

Community Welcome at Harbor Hospice Regatta Event to take place on Saturday, June 27^th Muskegon Yacht Club

Families throughout the western Michigan lakeshore communities are invited to attend the annual Harbor Hospice Regatta. Not only will guests be able to enjoy a beautiful view of sailboats on the lake, but they are also invited to participate in the family-oriented picnic as well as an exciting silent auction. The event, which first began in 2008, will take place on Saturday, June 27th, at the Muskegon Yacht Club.

“The Harbor Hospice Regatta is a wonderful, fun-filled event for families to enjoy,” said Ammy Johnson, Harbor Hospice Director of Development. “The proceeds from this event help to ensure that all Harbor Hospice patients facing a life-limiting illness have access to expert care as well as support for their families regardless of their ability to pay.”

The Race begins with the starting gun at 1 p.m. The Muskegon Yacht Club hosts a Picnic Dinner, which is open to the public, from Noon-5:30 p.m. tickets are $12.50 for adults and $6 for a more traditional menu for kids 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased at Harbor Hospice, Muskegon Yacht Club or on the day of the event.

Harbor Hospice is a member of the National Hospice Regatta Alliance, a nonprofit, 501(c)3 association of hospice regattas, which independently raises money and awareness for local hospices.

For additional information, to become a sponsor or donate a silent auction item, please contact Ammy Johnson at 231.728.6836 or ajohnson@HarborHospiceMI.org.

About Harbor Hospice

The Harbor Hospice philosophy of care places the needs of patients and the families first. Our comprehensive care for terminally ill patients and resources for their families allows them to enjoy their last months, weeks, or days of their lives together as completely as possible for as long as possible. We help patients and their families make a plan for living each and every one of their days as they want them to be lived. Harbor Hospice care offers specialized healthcare with expertise in pain and symptom management, emotional support and spiritual care, as well as grief counseling for family members anticipating or following the death of their loved one. Harbor Hospice has served the western Michigan lakeshore community for over 30 years.

Fruitport Charter Township Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes of June 8, 2015

A work session of the Fruitport Charter Township board began at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 8, 2015, in the township board room.

Members Present: Brian Werschem, Supervisor; Carol Hulka, Clerk; Rose Dillon, Treasurer; Trustees Dave Markgraf, Marjorie Nash and Chuck Whitlow Members Absent: Trustee Ron Becklin-excused

Also Present: 1–employee; 2-residents; Director of Public Works, Farrar; Public Safety Director, Doctor; MLive reporter; and 1 guest

At 7:00 p.m., Supervisor Werschem opened the regular meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.

The meeting minutes of May 11, 2015, 2015, regular meeting, were approved as presented.

The motion by Dave Markgraf, supported by Rose Dillon, was carried unanimously, to approve the meeting agenda for June 8, 2015, 2015, with the following addition: First Reading: Zone change request at 2605 W. Fruitport Road, Spring Lake, MI.

CORRESPONDENCE / REPORTS
1) Michigan Townships Association legislative updates
2) Planning Commission meeting minutes of May 19^th.
3) Parks and Recreation meeting minutes of April 29^th
4) Invitation from Sgt. Daniel Stout II, Muskegon County Emergency Manager, to their Northern Exposure
Michigan National Guard Exercises Orientation which is a training exercise simulating a nuclear
detonation in the Grand Rapids area.
5) A letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding Fruitport Township’s enrollment in
Insurance program.
6) Michigan Gas Utilities notice of hearing on reconciling its Energy Optimization (EO) plan costs and
revenues for the 12-month period ended December 31, 2014 and to revise its EO surcharges.

PUBLIC COMMENTS – PART 1
Jim Jackson, 3671 Mt. Garfield, asked about the rat situation.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
15-063 Lease Agreement with Fruitport Soccer Club
A. Brian Werschem moved, seconded by Chuck Whitlow, MOTION CARRIED, that Brian Werschem abstain from voting on the lease agreement with Fruitport Soccer Club because of his association with the Club.

Ayes: Werschem, Whitlow, Markgraf, Hulka, Dillon, Nash Nays: none

B. Chuck Whitlow moved, Dave Markgraf seconded, MOTION CARRIED, for adoption of a Fruitport Soccer Club Lease Agreement, as presented.

Ayes: Whitlow, Markgraf, Hulka, Dillon, Nash Nays: none

NEW BUSINESS
15-064 US Signal Company, L.L.C. Metro Permit Application
The motion by Chuck Whitlow, supported by Marjorie Nash, was carried unanimously, for adoption of a Metro Act Permit with US Signal Company L.L.C. for access to and ongoing use of the public right-of-way, including public roadways, highways, streets, alleys, easements, and waterways in Fruitport Township for a telecommunications system. The motion includes authorization for the Supervisor to sign the document.

15-065 FOIA Procedures and Guidelines
Dave Markgraf moved, supported by Rose Dillon, MOTION CARRIED, for the adoption of a resolution for FOIA Procedures and Guidelines and the Public Summary for Fruitport Charter Township, effective July 1, 2015, making the Township compliant with the amendments.

Ayes: Markgraf, Dillon, Nash, Whitlow, Hulka, Werschem Nays: none

15-066 Watch Muskegon Campaign
Cindy Larsen, President of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, gave an informative presentation on “Watch Muskegon Go” campaign.

The motion by Rose Dillon, supported by Dave Markgraf, was carried unanimously, to support the concept of the Muskegon Lakeshore Image Campaign Stakeholder Agreement and for Brian Werschem to represent Fruitport Township as a committee member.

FRUITPORT CHARTER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES
JUNE 8, 2015
PAGE #2

15-067 Zone Change Request From R-4 to R-1 at 2605 W. Fruitport Road, Spring Lake, MI
On May 19, 2015, the Planning Commission made a recommendation to the Township Board to approve the zone change from R-4 to R-1 for parcel numbers 61-15-630-026-0002-00 (commonly known as 2605 W. Fruitport Road, 61-15-630-026-0005-00, and 61-15-360-023-0006-00 . This constitutes the first reading. Final action will take place at the next regular scheduled board meeting on June 22, 2015.

15-068 Payment of Bills
Dave Margraf moved, seconded by Carol Hulka, MOTION CARRIED, to approve bills for payment in the following amounts: General Fund & Parks $31,341.98; Public Safety $49,141.78; Water $78,443.76; Sewer $76,700.77. Totaling: $235,628.29

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

REPORTS –
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Part II —

ADJOURNMENT
The motion by Dave Markgraf, seconded by Carol Hulka, was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, to adjourn the meeting at 7:55 p.m.

_______________________________ ______________________________

CAROL HULKA, CLERK BRIAN WERSCHEM, SUPERVISOR

Muskegon County Calendar of Events 06/22/15-06/28/15

Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau

06/22/2015 – Quiz Night at the Book Nook & Java Shop

‎You’re invited to the Book Nook & Java Shop for Quiz Night with DJ Jeff Schildroth, Monday, June 22 at 6:00pm. Test your team’s trivia wits while enjoying chicken pot pie and chicken noodle soup. For more information, call 231-894-5333.

06/22/2015 – Michigan Civil War Landmarks

‎You’re invited to the White Lake Public Library for the presentation, “Michigan Civil War Landmarks”, Monday June 22 at 6:30pm. Learn about Michigan’s significant Civil War sites and fascinating stories about the Civil War. Hear about General Custer, the Battle of Little Big Horn and the part that Monroe County had in the war and their soldiers. The program is free. Please call 231-894-9531 to register.

06/23/2015 – Muskegon Clippers Home Game

‎The Muskegon Clippers feature college players from Junior Colleges to Division 1 Universities playing baseball at Muskegon’s historic Marsh Field during the summer months. Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00pm, they take on the Rapids. Individual game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available. For more information on company picnics, VIP seating and regular tickets please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com.

06/23/2015 – Jam Session at the Book Nook & Java Shop

‎Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00pm, you’re invited to join a a Jam Session at the Book Nook & Java Shop. Call 231-894-5333 for details.

06/23/2015 – 07/02/15 Fun Times with Watercolor

‎June 23, 24, 29 and July 1, 2 at 10:30am, teens 11to 18 are invited to Walker Memorial Library to paint together with Lori McElrath-Eslick, illustrator of more than 20 children’s books. Each class will involve demonstration of a technique followed by your creation of a painting by applying that technique. Class size is limited; call the library to register at (231) 744-6080. Participants will be asked to attend all five classes.

06/24/2015 – Pop-Up Museum

‎Wednesday, June 24, check out the Pop-Up at the Museum, a special Native American themed program from 10:00am to 1:00pm. This is a free walk in program at the Lakeshore Museum Center, 430 W. Clay Ave. Admission is free and the museum is open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. www.lakeshoremuseum.org

06/24/2015 – Muskegon Clippers Home Game

‎The Muskegon Clippers feature college players from Junior Colleges to Division 1 Universities playing baseball at Muskegon’s historic Marsh Field during the summer months. Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00pm, they take on the Holland Millers. Individual game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available. For more information on company picnics, VIP seating and regular tickets please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com.

06/24/2015 – Classical Night at the Book Nook & Java Shop

‎Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00pm, come to the Book Nook & Java Shop for classical music with Stuart Leitch on piano. The dinner special will be turkey burgers. Call 231-894-5333 for details.

06/25/2015 – Brown Bag Film: 10 Buildings That Changed America

‎Thursday, June 25 at 12:15pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the Brown Bag Film, “10 Buildings That Changed America.” This film tells the stories of 10 influential works of architecture, the people who imagined them, and the way these landmarks ushered innovative cultural shifts into our society. Auditorium doors open at noon. Coffee, cookies, and film admission are free. Call 231-720-2571 for more information.

06/25/2015 – Meet the Artists

‎Thursday, June 25 from 5:00-7:00pm, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art to meet award-winning artists from the 87th Regional Exhibition. Artists will talk about their work and answer questions during this informal gallery “walk-and-talk.” Light refreshments will be provided and there will be a cash bar. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 231-720-2571.

06/25/2015 – Downtown Dancing

‎Street Dancing is coming back to Muskegon, so get ready to “swing” and come out and join the fun! The Women’s Division Chamber of Commerce (WDCC) will be presenting “Downtown Dancing” at the New Muskegon Farmers’ Market on June 25, July 9, July 23 & August 13 (6:00-9:00pm). Music and Dancing will fill the air.

Free Dance Lessons from 6:00-6:30pm. Food Vendors available before & during all events.

Schedule:

June 25, The Carl Webb Band – Sponsor: Marilyn Forton/REMAX
Dance Lesson: Line Dancing/Grace Gonyon
July 9, Jaded 8 – Sponsor: Harding Energy
Dance Lesson: Night Club 2/Dave & Lisa Jirikovic
July 23, Bermuda Triangle – Sponsor: Jackie Engle, CFP-(R)/Waddell & Reed
Dance Lesson: Tom Gumina
August 13, Yard Sale Underwear – Sponsor: MOON Chapter of W MI CU
Dance Lesson: 4ct Hustle or East Coast Swing/Brenda & Rod Sprader

06/25/2015 – Robin Connell at the Book Nook & Java Shop

‎Thursday, June 25 at 7:00pm, come to the Book Nook & Java Shop for live music from Robin Connell. The dinner special will be black bean burgers. Call 231-894-5333 for details.

06/26/2015 – 06/27/15 Seaway Run & Expo

‎The Seaway Run 5K and Community Walk course winds through historic neighborhoods, with views of Muskegon Lake. Expo June 26. This is a must – try for all ages and abilities! Register and info at www.seawayrun.com or at the YMCA in downtown Muskegon.

06/26/2015 – Muskegon Clippers Home Game

‎The Muskegon Clippers feature college players from Junior Colleges to Division 1 Universities playing baseball at Muskegon’s historic Marsh Field during the summer months. Friday, June 26 at 4:30pm, and Saturday, June 27 at 4:30 and 7:30pm, they take on the Sting. Individual game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available. For more information on company picnics, VIP seating and regular tickets please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com.

06/26/2015 – 06/28/15 Wagon Wheel Classic Horse Show

‎Wagon Wheel Classic Horse Show event happening Saturday and Sunday June 26-28 at the Muskegon County Fairgrounds. (including 4-H Horse Point Show)/ Contact Desiree Whipple for more information (616) 635-1109.

06/26/2015 – Bill Saylor Open

‎Golfers are invited to Chase Hammond Golf Course, Friday, June 26 at 8:00am for the Bill Saylor Memorial Golf Outing/Fundraiser. This 4-person scramble begins with a shotgun start at 9:00am. Proceeds benefit the Muskegon County Mounted Division. To sign up, visit http://www.muskegonsheriff.com/2014%20Bill%20Saylor%20Golf%20Pamphlet.pdf

06/26/2015 – Parties in the Park: Whoopee Kat

‎For more than 30 year’s Parties in the Park has been a Muskegon institution providing Friday evening entertainment, free admission, and a family-friendly atmosphere! Be a part of the tradition and enjoy your summer evening with us downtown in Hackley Park. There are five local Muskegon food vendors at every party, there’s something for everyone to purchase. You’ll never go home hungry. This week the Muskegon Motorcycle Club hosts music for you by Whoopee Kat. Happy hour is from 5:00pm-6:00pm with the night ending at 9:00pm. Enjoy!

06/26/2015 – MCC Alumni Meet & Greet at Parties in the Park

‎Join Muskegon Community College at Parties in the Park on Friday, June 26 and celebrate summer with fellow alumni while enjoying music and beverages from 5:00-9:00pm. Look for the MCC alumni table in Hackley Park. Two lucky visitors will win two tickets each to the Port City Princess Alumni Cruise! Call 231-777-0461 for more information.

06/26/2015 – Nick Krause & Miss Kathleen

‎Friday, June 26 at 7:00pm, you’re invited to the Book Nook & Java Shop for live, acoustic guitar music from Nick Krause & Miss Kathleen. The dinner special will be salmon burgers. Call 231-894-5333 for details.

06/26/2015 – An Evening with Bob Milne

‎Bob Milne is considered to be the best ragtime/boogie-woogie pianist in the world. He was filmed and documented for future generations in 2004 during three days of interviews at the Library of Congress, and was declared a “National Treasure” at the conclusion. Mr. Milne, an active “Musical Ambassador” for the United States, has performed numerous times in Japan, including the Okinawan Islands and Hokkaido. He has also performed in this capacity for

members of the Swiss Parliament at the U.S. Embassy in Berne. See him perform at the Howmet Playhouse Friday, June 26 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, available at the door. For more information, call (231) 894-4048.

06/26/2015 – Movies On Deck

There is no charge to attend “Movies on Deck” screenings, although donations to help support the veterans museum are always welcome. Moviegoers can bring their own chairs and refreshments; popcorn, soda and snacks are available for sale.

Inclement weather will mean a move down inside the giant tank deck of the ship for an indoor showing. The museum’s indoor audio-video system has been recently upgraded by Muskegon’s Geeks Inc. If moved inside, the movie will start at 10:00pm. For more information, call (231) 730-1477.

2015 “Movies On Deck” Season, underwritten by Waddell & Reed

Date	Title	Sponsor
5 June 2015	The Longest Day
6 June 2015	Saving Pvt. Ryan
12 June 2015	Back to the Future
19 June 2015	Mrs. Doubtfire
26 June 2015	The Incredibles
10 July 2015	12 O’Clock High
24 July 2015	Away All Boats
31 July 2015	A League of Their Own
14 August 2015	The Rocketeer
21 August 2015	Viewers Choice

06/27/2015 – Community Paddle 2015

‎This is an awesome water experience for 1-2 hour recreational tours of Muskegon Lake in a kayak, paddle board, canoe or anything that can be paddled! www.lakeeffectboating.com

06/27/2015 – Lake Effect Lights Boater Parade

‎June 27, it’s time to light up the lake! Let’s celebrate as we move towards Independence Day. Boats are asked to gather in the South Breakwater Cove around dusk. 20 minutes after sunset, the parade will start. Parade route will take the boats through the Channel into Muskegon Lake, into Harbour Towne Marina, by Dockers, back past Muskegon Yacht Club, and to Balcom’s Cove, and then finishing at Great Lakes Marina. www.lakeeffectboating.com

06/27/15 – Harbor Hospice Regatta

Going into its eighth year, this event features racing for big boats. Join Harbor Hospice for a fun and relaxing afternoon at the Muskegon Yacht Club for a silent auction and picnic from 12:00-5:30pm, Saturday, June 27. For more information, call 231-728-3442.

06/27/15 – Michigan’s Heritage Park Ribbon Cutting

June 27, you’re invited to the Michigan’s Heritage Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The park will open at 10:00am and the ceremony will begin at Noon! The park is located at 8637 North Durham Rd. (turn left at the Comfort Inn and continue down Durham Rd. approximately ¼ mile) and open to visitors from 10:00am-4:00pm. For more information, call 231-722-0278.

06/27/15 – USS Silversides Revs Its Engines

Saturday, June 27 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm, come see, smell, and hear the roar of the USS Silversides Submarine engines! For more information, call 231-755-1230.

06/27/15 – Yancy Concert

Award-winning Christian Music Artist, Yancy, will be performing live at Kainay Church, June 27 for two shows at 3:00pm and 6:00pm. Whether your children plan to attend a “BLAST TO THE PAST” Vacation Bible School Program or you are just looking for a fun, affordable night out with the family, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to sing, shout, dance, and praise God together as a family. For more information, call 231-767-5246.

06/27/15 – Muskegon Risers Home Game

We have a new soccer team! The Muskegon Risers Soccer Club is an independent professional men’s soccer team whose highest priority is continuing the growth and excitement surrounding soccer in the greater Muskegon area. The Risers will strive to be a professional representation of local soccer through both on-field performance and off-field community service. What is a Riser? A person of the Muskegon area who understands the area’s potential and who pushes themselves and others to realize that potential. Individual game tickets are $5. Season tickets are $39. They’ll take on the Michigan Stars at 6:00pm at Reeths-Puffer High School Soccer Field. www.muskegonrisers.com

06/27/15 – Maranatha Summer Concerts

Saturdays during the summer you can enjoy a concert at Maranatha Christian Conference Center. This week you can enjoy Steve Amerson. This is a FREE event, open to the public. Stop by from 5:00pm-6:45pm and enjoy a dinner buffet before prices are: 3 and under: FREE, 4-8 years; $7.00, 9-12 years; $9 and adults are $15. www.vacationwithpurpose.org

06/27/15 – Moxieville at the Book Nook & Java Shop

Saturday, June 27 at 7:00pm, you’re invited to the Book Nook & Java Shop for live music from Moxieville (Megan Dooley). The dinner special will be angus cheese burgers. Call 231-894-5333 for details.

06/27/15 – Live Comedy with Vince Acevedo

The Back Alley Comedy Club, presented by Sherman Bowling Center, is a showcase for regional comedian acts live on stage. Saturday, June 27 at 9:00pm (doors open at 7:30pm), the BACC proudly presents Vince Acevedo. A full bar and food are available. Tickets are only $5. For more information, call Todd or Mike at 231-755-1258.

06/27/15 – Movies on the Beach

Enjoy Movies on the Beach at Pere Marquette Beach! They are back again this year with support from our awesome Muskegon community! The first movie of the season will be The Goonies! Enjoy your family, popcorn, beverages and a gorgeous sunset! For more information, check them out on Facebook.

06/27/15 – Muskegon Clippers Home Game

The Muskegon Clippers feature college players from Junior Colleges to Division 1 Universities playing baseball at Muskegon’s historic Marsh Field during the summer months. Friday, June 26 at 4:30pm, and Saturday, June 27 at 4:30 and 7:30pm, they take on the Sting. Individual game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available. For more information on company picnics, VIP seating and regular tickets please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com.

06/28/15 – Yoga on the Deck!

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. Sundays, June 28-August 30 (not including 07/19 and 08/16) from 7:00-8:00pm, join them aboard the historic USS LST 393 Veterans Museum for Yoga on the Deck to benefit McLaughlin Grows and Kids Food Basket. 100% of your donation goes to a great cause. Mats are available for rent for $2. For more information, please visit www.rootdown.in.

Ongoing Events:

Collector’s Corner: Beatles Memorabilia

‎Beatles Memorabilia is the topic of the display in the Collectors Corner at the Lakeshore Museum Center. Featured are album covers from The Fab Four, fan club cards, a collectible plate, a Beatles themed Trivial Pursuit Game, beach towel and more. Figures of the four musicians and a yellow submarine are also included in William Stidham Sr.’s collection. The museum is open weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from Noon to 4:00pm. For more information, call 231-722-0278.

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

Colossal Avian Avatars

‎The Muskegon Museum of Art announces that Avian Avatars, an art installation of five colossal sculptures, each symbolizing a mythical bird, designed by The Myth Makers. The sculptures are crafted from maple saplings, wire ties, and found objects, and stand from 18 to 26 feet tall. Each of the sculptures will be installed in a different downtown Muskegon location for a full year. Avian Avatars is currently on display in the Garment District of New York City, from where it will travel directly to Muskegon. Each bird in the installation represents a unique myth. Avian Avatars is meant to indicate transformation, encouraging the public to heed to the stories about current human impact on the changing natural world. The sculptures are also intentionally made not to be permanent. Typically, per the artists, they last four to five years in any installation. www.muskegonartmuseum.org

Muskegon South Pierhead Light Tours

‎Memorial Day to Labor Day tours will be given at Pere Marquette Beach South Pierhead Light. Tours will take place Monday & Tuesday from Noon-4:00pm and Saturday from 10:00am – 2:00pm. The cost is $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for kids. Please thank the volunteers who are helping to make this possible.

Muskegon Historic Sites Open For Tours

‎The Hackley & Hume Historic Site, Fire Barn Museum and Scolnik House of the Depression Era will open for the season on Friday, May 1. The three historic sites, operated by the Lakeshore Museum Center, are open Thursday through Monday from 10 am to 4 pm. On Sundays, the three sites are open from 1 to 4 pm. The restored homes of Muskegon’s most famous lumber barons, Charles H. Hackley and Thomas Hume, are featured at the Hackley & Hume Historic Sites. Built in the late 1800s, they feature lavish wood carvings, stenciling, stained glass windows, and period furnishings. They are two of the finest examples of Queen Anne Style Victorian homes in the country. The site is located at 484 West Webster Avenue at Sixth Street. Admission is $7 for adults and teens, $5 for seniors 65 and older. Visitors 12 and younger are admitted free. www.lakeshoremuseum.org

‘Veterans’ Stories’

‎The World War II experiences of a dozen Muskegon area World War II veterans, as told to Muskegon Community College students enrolled in the popular Intro to WWII course, will be shared in a special exhibit, “Veterans’ Stories,” from May 4 through August 4 at the USS Silversides Museum, located at 1346 Bluff St. Admission is $5 per person and is free to museum members.

Patterned after the work of famous oral historian, journalist and The Good War author Studs Terkel, the MCC students who each assigned a local veteran to interview. The students also produced historical content highlighting their research. The compelling exhibit represents the collective culmination of their semester-long projects.

For more information on the Veterans’ Stories exhibit, contact Frank Marczak, associate director of the USS Silversides Museum, at (231) 755-1230.

Michigan’s Adventure

‎Muskegon’s own Michigan’s Adventure with 2 parks in 1! Spend your day in the water park and get thrills on a rollercoaster- all in one day! You will want to make another trip back to Michigan’s Adventure to have fun just one more time! Open 7 days a week to Labor Day! Check out their website for more highlights at www.miadventure.com.

Molly Diana Murphy: Transformative Law

‎The Arts Council of White Lake is proud to introduce Molly Diana Murphy as one of the selected 2015 featured artists. In her exhibit, Transformation Law, Murphy is showcasing five of her profound oil paintings. The mid-Michigan artist will transform the gallery into a ethereal paradise with her poetic imagery and vivid colors. Her exhibit will be on display June 9-26 at the Nuveen. For more information, call 231-893-2524.

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.

06/22/2015 – Beach Towne Trolley Rides

‎All ages love to take a ride on Muskegon’s Beach Towne Trolley during the summer months!

Routes and Operating Hours

Beach-Towne Trolley – 12:00pm–6:48pm

Operating Days

Six Days a Week, Monday – Saturday
Memorial Day – Labor Day

Single-Ride Cash Fare

Standard $1.25
Senior/Disabled $ .60

Transfers, tickets, and passes from other Muskegon Area Transit System buses will be accepted. Regular transit passes and transfers will not be sold or issued on trolleys. Exact change will be required. Children through age 5 may ride free when accompanied by an adult. All vehicles are equipped with wheelchair lifts. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. A sampling of stops and approximate time points is included in the trolley guide which is available at the Convention & Visitors Bureau and by clicking the link below, but the trolley will also stop at any street corner along the route where it is safe to stop. Just flag us down!

For more information, call the Muskegon Area Transit System at 231-724-6420.

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.

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 located on the corner of Baker and East Center Street.

White River Light Station Museum

‎See, hear, smell and touch the history of the Civil War, Michigan’s lumbering industry and tourism at Whitehall’s White River Light Station as they open for tours May 23 through October 31. There are 56 steps to climb if you are up to it! They are open Tuesday -Sunday, 10:00am-5:00pm. They are located at 6199 Murray Rd. in Whitehall on the White Lake Channel. www.whiteriverlightstation.org

‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’

‎You’re invited to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” exhibit. Comprised of a group of works from the MMA’s permanent collection, it features sports and leisure themed paintings and sculptures. For more information visit www.muskegonartmuseum.org.

Fricano’s Cruise-Ins

‎Every Wednesday between June 3 and August 26 from 5:30-8:00pm, you’re invited to Fricano’s Muskegon Lake for a “Cruise-In” (weather permitting). All antiques, customs, classics and novelty vehicles are welcome! There’ll be door prize drawings and oldies music provided by Tom Schalk of Quality Sound, along with your favorite beverages, Fricano’s Pizza and ice cream/desserts. Participants will be given a coupon for $3 off a dine-in or take-out Fricano’s Pizza purchase. For more information, call 231-722-7775. Please, no burnouts, motorcycles or bicycles.

Throwback Thursday

‎June through August, the Lakeshore Museum Center presents Historic Enrichment Activities at their historic sites, such as the Hackley & Hume Homes, the Firebarn and Scolnik House of the Depression Era! Call 231-722-7578 for more information.

10:00am -12:00pm AND 2:00pm -4:00pm

June 4 – Games of the Past

June 11 – Looms

June 18 – Calling Cards

June 25 – Ice Cream Making

July 2 – Portraits

July 9 – Stationery Design

July 16 – Superheros

July 23 – Hanky Fairies / Doily Dolls

July 30 – Painters for the Day

August 6 – Wood Carvings

August 13 – Wall Paper Banners

August 20 – Family Tree Activity

August 27 – Mosaics

Summer Luge & Archery!

‎School is out, so what are you and the family going to do for fun this weekend? Check out the Summer Luge and Archery!! Thursday-Sunday 10:00AM-2:00PM!! $15.00 for 4 runs on the summer luge track and 3 rounds at Archery. Get out and have some fun at the Winter Sports Complex, summer style! www.msports.org

Muskegon Heritage Museum Tours

‎Muskegon Heritage Museum opens for the season May 14 from 11:00am-4:00pm and will be open Thurs., Fri., and Saturdays until October 17. Operating Steam Engine, line shaft and Machine Shop with machine tools & ceiling fans run by the steam engine -1890. Working Brunswick Pinsetter along with other Brunswick items manufactured in Muskegon – 1962 are just a few things you can see. They also have an exhibit that explains about the hundreds of items that were manufactured in Muskegon from the mid 1800’s until today. www.muskegonheritage.org

Letter to the Editor: Drug Editorial Response

To the Editor:

I am writing to applaud Ron Cooper’s May 2015 editorial on the “elephant in the room:” the role of drugs in promoting crime and the decimation of drug users and their families. He argues cogently for decriminalization of “natural” drugs, that is, drugs that are manufactured from herbs and other flora: marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and opium. I am a public defender in New Jersey, and many of my clients are fundamentally no different from you and me. When they are prosecuted, and usually over-prosecuted, for possession with intent to distribute or distribution of these drugs, they serve very high sentences. If they live in urban communities, where it is impossible to walk outside a 1000-foot distance from school property, they receive extended terms. But, at least in Newark New Jersey, none of the people who are arrested for drug crimes have ever been arrested while selling to children. Moreover, if a police officer sees them even walk through the school zone, but arrests them for selling outside the school zone, they receive the extended terms. Young men and women spend most of their lives in prison for nonviolent crimes.

In New Jersey, the State government is promulgating diversionary programs into drug courts, which certain people charged with drug crimes, if they are found to suffer from addictions, can choose a rigorous drug treatment program as a form of probation, rather than serving a prison term. The program works! Michigan has such a program as well. Drug court is a beginning in a movement to remove the horror of prison terms for nonviolent drug crimes.

But it is only a beginning. Ron is entirely correct to hold that decriminalization or legalization would reduce the violent crimes that are committed when people with drug addictions become entangled in the underground economy of drug manufacture and distribution. An additional benefit is that the “new jim crow,” the segregation of people of color by putting them in prison, would no longer be a cause of the alienation and rage that black and Hispanic Americans feel toward the criminal justice system.

In the interest of full disclosure, Ron is my cousin and I am only, by virtue of my family ties, an honorary Michigander, but I carry that label with great pride. I cannot vote for Michigan legislators, but I can, as here, applaud the conversation that Ron will undoubtedly cause. He an I do not always agree on politics, but we share a concern for the increasing violents caused by mass incarceration due to our draconian drug laws.

John Douard, Esq.
2 Fairfield Street
Montclair, NJ 07042
douard@rci.rutgers.edu

Free Summer Concert – U.S. Coast Guard Band

Mark your calendar to pick up free tickets on June 24 for an exciting, summer concert on August 1.

Please share and “like” on Facebook. http://bit.ly/MuskegonCommunityConcerts

United States Coast Guard Band Concert Sponsors:

• Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp / Blue Lake Public Radio

• Community Foundation for Muskegon County

• Conn Geneva & Robinson

• Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts

• Grand Valley State University

• Muskegon Area Intermediate School District

• Muskegon Community Concert Association

• West Michigan Concert WINDS

• West Michigan Symphony

Canine Influenza Seen in Michigan

Three cases of canine influenza have been reported in our state this week: 2 in Kent County, 1 in Macomb County. Read more details here.

Coughing, runny nose, fever, and lack of appetite are common symptoms. Most cases are mild.

AVMA answers Canine Influenza FAQs here.

ASPCA covers

Canine Influenza Virus: Diagnostic, Treatment, and Control here.

Maddie’s Fund offers a free on-demand webcast that includes an overview, how to protect dogs in your care, and what shelters should be doing regarding the virus. More information and registration is here.

Taste of Muskegon 2015 is Under Construction

Road work will not be a road block for Taste Event.

Muskegon, May 18, 2015 – Downtown Muskegon is excited to announce that in 2015, the Annual Taste of Muskegon will once again partner with Parties in the Park by locating the popular event in Hackley Park and will utilize Fourth Street and the Culinary Institute parking lot as part of the event area.

This year’s event will be held June 19 – 20, 2015 and will feature more than 20 of the Lakeshore’s best locally owned restaurants. They will all be showcasing their most popular menu items while competing for awards in the Best Appetizer, Best Entrée, Best Dessert, People’s Choice, Best Booth, and Green Award Plate among others.

Due to road work and the on-going building of a new bus terminal, the event has been rebranded this year as Taste Under Construction. We will still make the most of Hackley Park’s laid back, family-friendly atmosphere and provide plenty of shade and open space to keep guests comfortable. The Taste guests will be able to walk around with food and drink all throughout the park and surrounding event area.

Friday, June 19 will be Parties in the Park at the Taste of Muskegon with expanded hours from 4:30 – 10pm and feature live music from country band Stolen Horses from 4:30-6:00pm and continuing with Delilah DeWylde from 7:00-10:00pm.

On Saturday, June 20 the ‘Taste’ experience will happen from 11am – 9pm. Saturday will feature live music starting at 11:30am with Ruxy Muzik, the Fargyn Bastydges at 1:15pm, the Dynamic Trio (winners of the Student Showcase) at 3:pm, Deni Hunter & Group Therapy at 4:00pm and closing the night with the Will Roc Experience starting at 7:00pm. The Folks and Spokes bike ride will begin at 10am and will be fun for the whole family. There will be a car show in the Culinary Institute parking lot from 11am – 4pm. A special Main Event that you won’t want to miss will be happening on the stage at 7:30pm. The Taste of Downtown Pub Crawl will begin around 9:00pm.

This year’s event will also feature a plenty of fun for the kids. The Kid’s Zone will be open from 5:00pm to 9:00pm on Friday with bounce houses and the Critter Barn (closes at 8:00pm) and from Noon – 8pm on Saturday and will feature bounce houses sponsored by Redi Rental and Kid’s Food Basket, sack supper bag decorating with Kid’s Food Basket, Pop-Up Museum provided by Lakeshore Museum Center, and Eat Healthy Muskegon sponsored by MLive. Pound Buddies will be in the park from Noon until 2:00pm.

We are still accepting volunteers. If you would like to work at Taste of Muskegon please visit http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/1098723388090 to sign up.

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tasteofmuskegon

About the Team

This year the Taste of Muskegon is being coordinated by Ellen Berends on behalf of Downtown Muskegon Now with the support of committee members: Deni Hunter; Chanda Nichols-Wilson, Lisa Richards, Brent Mullen, Brett Gilbert, Kathleen Riegler, William Hendon, Tom Schultz, Pete June, and Jonathan Seyferth. Anyone interested in sponsoring or being part of the ongoing revitalization of this event, should contact lead organizer, Ellen at ellenberends55@gmail.com or (231) 750-4970. All proceeds from Taste of Muskegon 2015 go to Downtown Muskegon Now to be used for the revitalization and beautification of Muskegon’s downtown through development grants and landscaping.

Summer 2015 at the Muskegon Museum of Art

Summer 2015 at the Muskegon Museum of Art
Summer opens with the 87^th Regional Exhibition of works by Michigan artists and leads into Extreme Fibers that features works by artists from around the world.

Thursdays, 1:00–3:00 pm
Open Public Tours
Drop in for exhibition tours led by MMA docents. Paid general admission is required.

Saturday, June 13
Afternoon II Evening 103^rd Anniversary Gala
This year’s Gala takes its inspiration from the painting Afternoon II by Manierre Dawson, a pioneer of abstract painting. The painting is a very important work of art in the MMA collection and is the cornerstone of our summer exhibition Manierre Dawson: Engineering Abstraction. Afternoon II embodies summer with golden tones that Dawson may have drawn from his life as a Michigan orchard farmer and shapes mapped by his earlier engineering training and life in Chicago. Your ticket includes pre-dinner cocktail party with open bar and appetizers and a “Tribute to Michigan” locally-sourced gourmet dinner and dessert served by Hearthstone. After the live and silent auctions, the evening will wrap up with music and dancing. Tickets: $160 per person ($140 for up to two Muskegon Museum of Art members). Call 231.720.2571 to purchase Gala tickets by May 30. Presenting sponsors are Hines Corporation and Van Kampen Molinari Boyer Foundation.

Thursday, June 25, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
10 Buildings That Changed America
(60 mins.) This film tells the stories of 10 influential works of architecture, the people who imagined them, and the way these landmarks ushered innovative cultural shifts into our society. Auditorium doors open at noon. Coffee, cookies, and film admission are free. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner Alcoa Howmet.

Thursday, June 25, 5:00-7:00 pm
Meet the Artists
Meet award-winning artists from the 87^th Regional Exhibition. Artists will talk about their work and answer questions during this informal gallery “walk-and-talk.” Light refreshments will be provided. Free and open to the public. Cash bar.

Thursdays in July & August, 5:30-7:30 pm
Art and a Glass
Happy Hour at the MMA
Bring your friends to a museum-style happy hour! Take a break and enjoy the art with a glass of wine or a great craft brew. General admission is free Thursday evenings from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, so take advantage of the opportunity to discover your Museum at no cost. Cash bar. Must be 21 or older to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages.

Thursday, July 9, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Magic of the White City Expo: Part I
(68 mins.) Explore the world of 1893 via a visit to Chicago’s Columbian Exposition guided by narrator Gene Wilder. Many of the world’s greatest achievements in art, architecture, science, technology and culture were unveiled there. Auditorium doors open at noon. Coffee, cookies, and film admission are free. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner Alcoa Howmet.

July 11, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Potato Head Super Saturday
Free Family Fun Day
It’s a spuddy kind of Saturday at the MMA. Admission and activities are free, compliments of MMA Education Partner Alcoa Howmet.
10:00 am & 1:00 pm
Film: Toy Story
(81 mins.) Join Woody and Buzz Lightyear on their adventure of finding their way home. (And don’t forget the famous Mr. Potato Head is looking for love…Mrs. Potato Head!)
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Guided Exhibition Tours
Explore the 87^th Regional Exhibition with a museum docent.
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Make & Take
Create your own unique potato head with a funny face and crazy accessories.

Thursday, July 16, 6:00-8:00 pm
Happy Hour Painting
Bonnard’s Bountiful Garden
Instructor: Marlan Cotner
$30/$25 member (includes materials and your first beverage)
Ages: 21 & up/ All skill levels
Join us for another round of painting and spirits. This time we will focus on one of the MMA’s favorite permanent collection works, La Porte de la Villa du Bosquet au Cannet by Pierre Bonnard. This painting of a lush green garden, full of warm sunshine and great light, is a visitor favorite and a perfect work to recreate with step-by-step assistance from one of West Michigan’s best known artists. Call 231.720.2571 by July 9 to register.

Thursday, July 23, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Magic of the White City Expo: Part II
(68 mins.) Explore the world of 1893 via a visit to Chicago’s Columbian Exposition guided by narrator Gene Wilder. Many of the world’s greatest achievements in art, architecture, science, technology and culture were unveiled there. Auditorium doors open at noon. Coffee, cookies, and film admission are free. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner Alcoa Howmet.

August 8, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Paris Super Saturday
Free Family Fun Day
Grab your best beret and join us for a Saturday of great French art, a feisty French girl—Madeline, and fine Paris landscapes. Admission and activities are free, compliments of MMA Education Partner Alcoa Howmet.
10:00 am & 1:00 pm
Film: Madeline
(90 mins.) A mischievous French girl named Madeline tries to save her boarding school from closing. When that fails, she uses her wits to solve the school’s problem.
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Guided Exhibition Tours
Tour the permanent collection with a museum docent. Find your favorite French artist!
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Make & Take
Make your own Parisian cityscape, complete with the Eiffel tower.

Thursday, August 13, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Building Big: Skyscrapers
(65 mins.) This documentary showcases the amazing stories behind some of the world’s most impressive skyscrapers. The program examines the history, building techniques, builders, and little-known facts about many of the world’s most famous towers, cathedrals, and buildings. Auditorium doors open at noon. Coffee, cookies, and film admission are free. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner Alcoa Howmet.

Thursday, August 20, 5:30 pm
Opening Reception & Lecture
Extreme Fibers: Textile Icons and the New Edge
Celebrate the opening of this comprehensive exhibition of cutting edge textile and fiber art by established visionaries and up-and-coming artists from around the world. Enjoy refreshments while mingling with the artists and stay for a special lecture, which begins at 7:00 pm.

Thursday, August 27, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Chicago’s Lakefront
(90 mins.) It’s been called “Chicago’s front yard” and the “jewel in our crown.” Its Chicago’s lakefront and it stretches for 29 miles. Join Geoffrey Baer, host of WTTW’s acclaimed architectural shows and docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, as he follows the coast of Lake Michigan from the Indiana Dunes to Chicago’s north suburbs. Auditorium doors open at noon. Coffee, cookies, and film admission are free. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner Alcoa Howmet.

Thursday August 20 through Saturday, August 22
Workshop: Painting with Needles
Instructor: C. Pazia Mannella
9:00 am – 4:00 pm (hour lunch)
Adults (ages 16 and up)
Cost: $300/$260 MMA member ($150 non-refundable)
Materials are included in workshop cost.
Learn to create textile paintings with embroidery, applique, and needle felting. Traditional and alternative needle technique will be explored on fabric, canvas, and paper. Images, textures, and patterns will be rendered in colored fiber. Ideal for all skill levels—adults, teens, and children. We will examine and discuss work exhibited in Extreme Fibers: Textile Icons and the New Edge for inspiration. Call 231.720.2571 by June 26 to register.

Saturday, August 22
Workshop: Jewelry in Paper
Instructor: Luis Acosta
9:00 am-5:00 pm (one-hour lunch)
Adults (ages 16 and up)
Cost: $240/$200 MMA member ($120 non-refundable)
Materials are included in workshop cost.
Create cut-paper jewelry based upon a single, repeating form. You will begin by designing a basic shape inspired by a familiar form such as a letter, symbol, or natural pattern. The shape is then repeated and all of the pieces are assembled into a single object of art, such as a necklace, bracelet, brooch, or tie. The workshop is accessible to students, artists, designers, teachers, and artisans. Students will draw, cut, tape, and paste. Jewelry making and design experience are not required. Call 231.720.2571 by June 26 to register.

EXHIBITIONS

Through August 9, 2015
Manierre Dawson: Engineering Abstraction
Manierre Dawson (1887-1969) was a pioneer in abstract art, creating paintings that rivaled the most innovative of his contemporaries. His visionary works, inspired by his early training and career as a civil engineer, speak to the development of Cubism and Abstract Expressionism. He moved from Chicago to Ludington, Michigan to help run his family’s fruit farm early in his artistic career. In 1969, Dawson gifted his painting Afternoon II to the MMA and it is one of the most significant works in the collection. This exhibition presents a broader sample of his paintings and a special opportunity to see more of his historic art assembled all in a single place. Lenders to the show include the Illinois State Museum system and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, as well as other private and institutional lenders from around the region. Dawson moved to Ludington in May 1914 to run the family orchard, but continued to paint and sculpt as time allowed. After its premiere at the MMA, the show will appear at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. The exhibition is underwritten by the Consumers Energy Foundation.

Through August 30, 2015
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
This exhibition features artworks inspired by sports and leisure. Anchored by two paintings by Kadir Nelson that chronicle the history of Negro League Baseball, Take Me Out to the Ballgame reveals the ways artists seek to capture the athleticism and popularity of sporting activities and events. In addition to the Nelson paintings, other highlights include Counted Out and The Baseball Game by George Bellows, Le Jockey by Toulouse Lautrec, and vintage photographs. Underwritten by Swanson Pickle Co., with additional support from Thomas and Elizabeth Tuttle and Hooker DeJong Architects & Engineers.

Through April 2016
Avian Avatars
The Muskegon Museum of Art presents Avian Avatars, a public art installation designed by The Myth Makers, artists Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein. The project consists of five bird sculptures, 18 to 26 feet tall, which are crafted from maple saplings, wire ties, and found objects. Each of the sculptures has been installed in a different downtown Muskegon location and will be on display through April 2016. The Avatars can be seen at the Muskegon Museum of Art, the Lakeshore Museum Center, the Muskegon Convention and Visitors Center, the Hines/Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce Building, and the Muskegon Farmers’ Market.

June 4 through August 5, 2015
87th Regional Exhibition
All-Michigan Edition
The Muskegon Museum of Art’s juried Regional Exhibition was one of the very first regional art shows established in Michigan and holds a respected position among the state’s regional art exhibitions. The annual show includes hundreds of two-and three-dimensional works in a wide variety of media created over the past two years by professional and amateur artists from throughout Michigan. Artists selected for the show competed for over $5,000 in cash awards, plus purchase awards. The 87th Regional Exhibition opens on June 4 with a public reception and awards ceremony.

June 23 through August 9, 2015
Tiffany Traditions
This group of works from the MMA’s collection includes some of the finest pieces from the Tiffany Studios era, including lamps, glasses, and fine functional objects.

August 6 through October 11, 2015
Doorways: A Passage through the Permanent Collection
As openings through which we enter and exit from one place to another, doorways are common thresholds. In the hands of artists, however, doors, gates, portals, arches, and other passageways are often valuable assets around which artworks are conceived. Doorways serve as carriers of narrative themes, compositional structure, and even psychological intrigue. Through a select group of paintings, sculpture, and works on paper, Doorways provides one means to enter the MMA’s expanding permanent collection. Underwritten by Rehmann.

August 20 through October 25, 2015
Challenging Tradition: Fine Craft from the Permanent Collection
In the mid-twentieth century, as part of the advent of modernism in the United States, artists became interested in using traditional craft materials and techniques to create fine art works that, while they might reference function, could exist purely as art objects, as paintings or sculpture do. This new direction quickly overlapped multiple art disciplines, as artists incorporated fiber and textile into sculpture, drawing, painting, printmaking, and even electronic media. The experimentation with craft has led to innovative and exciting works of contemporary art, and blurred the line between craft and fine art forever. Challenging Tradition: Fine Craft from the Permanent Collection showcases some of the best contemporary craft works in the MMA collections.

August 20 through November 1, 2015
Extreme Fibers: Textile Icons and the New Edge
This exhibition examines the state of fibers and textiles in the fine art world today. The artworks on display reveal the diversity of the fine art textile and fiber movement, and its transformation into a multi-media and discipline-spanning phenomenon. Participating artists come from around the world, including an invited group of 27 artists that are visionaries in the field. Additionally, a slate of artists selected from juried submissions received from countries around the world will join these masters. These juried pieces join those by invited artists for a showing of over 120 fiber and textile based artworks. Viewers will find tapestries, quilts, weavings, sculpture, basketry, and a host of other forms on display, from functional works to fully abstracted shapes. This is a remarkable opportunity for West Michigan to see truly contemporary, international artwork by artists that defined and continue to transform a major art movement. The exhibition has been developed in coordination with Guest Curator Geary Jones of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

VISITOR INFORMATION
The Muskegon Museum of Art is located in downtown Muskegon at 296 W. Webster Ave. Visit www.muskegonartmuseum.org or call 231.720.2570 for visitor information.

House Overwhelmingly Approves Price Bill To Lift Requirements On Community College Districts

A bill to remove the requirement that community college districts serve contiguous municipalities has been approved by the House, announced bill author state Rep. Amanda Price.

As it currently stands, community college districts can include multiple municipalities, however those municipalities must share a border in order to be annexed. House Bill 4265 seeks to lift this limitation from community colleges, effectively giving more flexibility for local education of students.

“By empowering local communities to decide for themselves how to best educate their students, we are helping to ensure that our children have affordable options for college regardless of where they live.” said Rep. Price, R-Park Township

HB 4265 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

Muskegon Clippers Announce Three Game Home Stand

“Clippers off the great start with 3-0 record”

MUSKEGON, Mich., June 9, 2015 –Muskegon’s summer collegiate baseball team, the Muskegon Clippers, will be looking to stay undefeated in a three game home stand this weekend at historic Marsh Field.

The Clippers will host the Michigan Monarchs from Adrian who play their home games at Sienna Heights University. The Monarchs are in second place in the league with a 3 -2 record.

Game times are Friday, June 12, 2015 at 7:00pm. The same two teams play a doubleheader on Saturday, June 13, 2015 with the first game at 4:30pm and the second game starting at approximately 7:00pm.

The Muskegon Clippers games feature full food and beverage concessions including beer, team gear and merchandise sales, special promotional nights, on field games between innings, music and crowd interaction activities throughout the game.

Game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for Senior Citizens, $3 for students; children under 12 are free. Game tickets can be purchased right at the gate of Marsh Field on Laketon Avenue in Muskegon. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available.

In addition, Marsh Field has a Party Deck that can be rented for groups that includes VIP seating food and beverage wait service.

For more information on company picnics, group sales, and season tickets, please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com.

Muskegon County Calendar of Events 06/08/15-06/14/15

Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau

06/09/2015 – Create a Canvas Painting

‎Tuesday, June 9 at 6:30pm, release your inner artist with the guidance of instructors from Wine and Canvas at Walker Memorial Library! All supplies will be provided and no previous experience or talent is needed to create a masterpiece in our fun and relaxing environment. Class size is limited. Registration is required by calling 231-744-6080.

06/09/2015 – Movie at the Museum

‎Tuesday, June 9 at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum, you’re invited to see the film “Life and Death of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.” Most of the world probably knows about the sinking of the SS Fitzgerald in 1975. The Silversides Submarine Museum will be presenting the story of the Fitzgerald in video format on June 9, 2015 at 11:00am and again at 3:00pm. Directed and created by Ric Mixter, film maker and creator of the fabulous documentary film, STORM, the documentary about the Fitzgerald is equally compelling. Tickets are only $5 or free with museum membership. For more information, call 231-755-1230.

06/09/2015 – Feeding the Soul of the City

‎“Feeding the Soul of the City” lunch hour concerts began at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church as a memorial to local musician John Robert Welsh. These concerts are free and open to the public in this beautiful, historical, downtown church. A soup and sandwich lunch is available for a small price, or bring a bag lunch. All performances are held from 12:15pm to 12:45pm on Tuesdays. June 9, it’s Ruth & Max Bloomquist playing folk and bluegrass. For more information, call (231) 722-2112.

06/09/2015 – A Tale of Two Submarines

‎You’re invited to the White Lake Public Library for “A Tale of Two Submarines”, a presentation describing the structure and living conditions aboard each submarine and tells the story about the many successes which the USS Silversides accomplished and the sad story about the loss of the USS Flier in 1944. Happening Tuesday, June 9 from 6:30-8:00pm. For more information, call (231) 894-9531.

06/10/2015 – Independent Movie Night

‎You’re invited to the White Lake Community Library for Independent Movie Night! Wednesday, June 10 at 6:00pm it’s “Human Capital” (Italian with English subtitles). Human Capital begins at the end, a nuanced account of desire, greed and the value of human life in an age of rampant capitalism and financial manipulation. (110 minutes, ages 17 and up) Admission is free. Popcorn and lemonade will be available. For more information, call (231) 894-9531.

06/10/2015 – Comedy Hypnosis Show

‎You’re invited to the Brew House for a Comedy Hypnosis Show featuring real hypnosis, real volunteers and real fun, Wednesday, June 10 at 8:00pm! See your friends actually hypnotized on the stage, absolutely FREE! For more information, call 616-350-4600.

06/11/2015 – 06/13/15 Antique Tractor & Engine Show

‎Join fellow tractor and engine enthusiasts June 11-13 at the Muskegon County Fairgrounds for this fun family event. The 24th annual Antique Farm Power Club Show will feature antique tractors, tractor pulls, daily demonstrations, kids games, a parade, flea market and more! Admission is $5 Adults, kids 12 and under are FREE. For more information please call 616-887-7462.

06/11/2015 – 06/13/15 Musical: Not a Baby Anymore

‎The Nuveen Community Center for the Arts is excited to announce the 2015 musical theatrical production, “Not a Baby Anymore” written and composed by Alice L. Gambel and Ellen Carmichael. This production will be showcased on the Howmet Playhouse stage on June 11, 12 & 13. Alice L. Gambel will direct the piece. The show takes place on a young girl’s 13^thbirthday, which she begins with great anticipation. When things don’t go her way, she makes an immature choice and has to rely on others to rescue her – leading to the realization that growing up is best taken in small steps, not giant leaps. www.artswhitelake.org

06/11/2015 – 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!

06/11/2015 – Youth Fishing Derby

‎The derby will be held on Thursday, June 11th, at 4:00 p.m. at Fisherman’s Landing. Youth must be pre-registered in order to participate. Registration ends on June 8th or when the maximum number of entrants has been reached. There will be awards for largest fish in each age group (8, 9, 10, 11 & 12) as well as door prize drawings and a hot dog roast. The fishing will end at 6:00 p.m. at which time the hotdog roast and prize drawings will begin. Rod & reel combinations will be available to those youth that do not have access to their own fishing equipment.

06/11/2015 – Molly Diana Murphy: Transformative Law

‎The Arts Council of White Lake is proud to introduce Molly Diana Murphy as one of the selected 2015 featured artists. In her exhibit, Transformation Law, Murphy is showcasing five of her profound oil paintings. The mid-Michigan artist will transform the gallery into a ethereal paradise with her poetic imagery and vivid colors. Come meet the artist and experience her work at the opening reception on Thursday, June 11th, 2015 from 5:00-7:00pm. Her exhibit will be on display June 9-26 at the Nuveen. For more information, call 231-893-2524.

06/12/2015 – 06/14/15 Muskegon Powerboat Event ‘The Chase’

‎Over 50 big, high powered, sleek powerboats are scheduled to appear at the Muskegon Yacht Club for The Chase Charity Powerboat Event June 12-14. People by land or lake will come to support the Humane Society of West Michigan and the GVSU Dance Team, the honorary hosts of the open to the public event.

The “Million Dollar Dock” will feature the 2014 OPA Racing National Champion Cat Can Do, supporting animal charities with the Racing4Paws outreach. Activities are planned starting Friday, June 12 at 4:00pm. Members will show off boats, raise awareness and enjoy food and refreshment. The Yacht Club’s awesome burger bar will be available for dinner.

Saturday, June 13 starts with boat show docks opening at 10:00am. Boats are scheduled to take part at 2:00pm in the Precision Powered Offshore Poker Run. Boaters will follow the Lake Express out the channel just before 5:00pm, creating an awesome show. The day concludes with the Anchor Insurance Chase Bash party at the Muskegon Yacht Club. On Sunday, the docks at the Muskegon Yacht Club will be open for “Sunday Funday”. For more information and details visit www.thechaseevent.weebly.com.

06/12/2015 – Parties in the Park: Groove Solution

‎For more than 30 year’s Parties in the Park has been a Muskegon institution providing Friday evening entertainment, free admission, and a family-friendly atmosphere! Be a part of the tradition and enjoy your summer evening with us downtown in Hackley Park. There are five local Muskegon food vendors at every party, there’s something for everyone to purchase. You’ll never go home hungry. This week the Muskegon Rotary Club presents Groove Solution. Happy hour is from 5:00pm-6:00pm with the night ending at 9:00pm. www.partiesinthepark.com

06/12/2015 – Muskegon Clippers Home Game

‎The Muskegon Clippers feature college players from Junior Colleges to Division 1 Universities playing baseball at Muskegon’s historic Marsh Field during the summer months. Friday, June 12 at 7:00pm, they take on the Monarchs. Individual game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available. For more information on company picnics, VIP seating and regular tickets please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com.

06/12/2015 – Benefit Concert Featuring Violinist Gregory Maytan

‎ A “Friends of the Festival” Concert will be presented on Friday, June 12, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. as a benefit for the 6th annual White Lake Chamber Music Festival which will take place August 1-9, 2015. This special concert will be held at Harold and Barbara Wheaton’s home on Lake Michigan. Featured will be violinist Gregory Maytan, joined by Bryan Uecker on piano.

Tickets are $40 and includes wine, hor d`oeuvres, coffee and desserts. A limited number of tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite, the Book Nook & Java Shop (8726 Ferry St. Montague 231-894-5333) or at the Arts Council of White Lake, 106 E. Colby St., Whitehall. All proceeds will go to help underwrite the cost of the 2015 Festival. More information about the Festival including a full schedule is available at whitelakechambermusicfestival.com.

06/12/2015 – Movies On Deck

‎USS LST 393 Veterans Museum is pleased to present another year of the popular Friday Night “Movies on Deck” film series! Films are shown on LST 393’s huge screen on the top deck starting right after sunset, around 10:00pm. In August, films start about 9:30pm. June 12, it’s “Back to the Future”! There is no charge to attend “Movies on Deck” screenings, although donations to help support the veterans museum are always welcome. Moviegoers can bring their own chairs and refreshments; popcorn, soda and snacks are available for sale. www.lst393.org

06/13/2015 – 06/20/15 Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant

‎The Miss Michigan Scholarship and Miss Michigan Teen Scholarship Pageants are coming to the Frauenthal stage June 13-June 20. Tickets are available through Star Tickets outlets including Meijer Stores, StarTickets.com or call 800-585-3737 or through the Frauenthal box office, 231-727-8001. Frauenthal Box Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11 AM – 5:30 PM. Frauenthal Box Office Closed Tuesdays. www.frauenthal.org

06/13/2015 – Afternoon II Evening 103rd Anniversary Gala

‎Saturday, June 13, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the “Afternoon II Evening 103rd Anniversary Gala”. This year’s Gala takes its inspiration from the painting Afternoon II by Manierre Dawson, a pioneer of abstract painting. The painting is a very important work of art in the MMA collection and is the cornerstone of their summer exhibition Manierre Dawson: Engineering Abstraction. Afternoon II embodies summer with golden tones that Dawson may have drawn from his life as a Michigan orchard farmer and shapes mapped by his earlier engineering training and life in Chicago. Your ticket includes pre-dinner cocktail party with open bar and appetizers and a “Tribute to Michigan” locally-sourced gourmet dinner and dessert served by Hearthstone. After the live and silent auctions, the evening will wrap up with music and dancing. Tickets: $160 per person ($140 for up to two Muskegon Museum of Art members). Call 231-720-2571 to purchase Gala tickets by May 30. Presenting sponsors are Hines Corporation and Van Kampen Molinari Boyer Foundation.

06/13/15 – DNR Free Fishing Weekend Kids’ Fishing Contest

There’s a FREE Community Kid’s Fishing Contest (Ages 3-16) Saturday, June 13 at Goodrich Park! Register between 7:00am and 10:00am at the Goodrich Park Pavilion in Whitehall. Weigh In ends at noon. Call 231-557-6473 for more information.

06/13/15 – Project Fresh Family Fun Day

Join them Saturday, June 13th for the third annual “Project Fresh Family Fun Day!” put on by Muskegon County’s WIC Program! It is a FREE event for all ages open to the community and you do NOT have to be enrolled in the WIC Program to take part in this fun event! They will have a variety of activities and arts and crafts available including, but not limited to: * Trolley rides to the Farmers Market*YMCA’s Veggie Van*Bounce house*Dragon hide n’ slide*Trout fishing*Petting zoo*Face Painting*Children’s activities & crafts*Booths promoting local service agencies. For more information, visit www.muskegonhealth.net or call 231-724-1391.

06/13/15 – Arts Fest

The first Saturday of every month this summer, come to the Montague Artisan Market for “Arts Fest” from 10:00am-3:00pm. Enjoy the art fair, free kids’ crafts, music and special performances. Formore information, visit artswhitelake.org.

06/13/15 – 06/14/15 Civil War Encampment

June 13 and 14 from 10:00am-3:00pm, members of the Third Michigan Volunteer Infantry Co. F will bring the Civil War to life at Michigan’s Heritage Park. Learn about military and civilian life during the war by exploring camps and talking to re-enactors. Call 231-722-0278 for more information.

06/13/15 – DNR Free Fishing Weekend: Muskegon Conservation Club’s Free Fishing Derby

Saturday, June 13 from 10:00am – 2:00pm, kids are invited to participate in the DNR Free Fishing Weekend at the Muskegon Conservation Club at the Kids’ Fishing Derby. This event is for all children ages 4 to 12. They must be accompanied by an adult and bring their own fishing rod. Registration starts at 9:00am the day of the event and is limited to the first 100 kids. The event includes one hour of competitive fishing, 15 prize categories for fish caught, refreshments, and door prizes. There is no admission charge and only plain hooks with a piece of live bait may be used. For more information, visit muskegonconservationclub.org.

06/13/15 – Back to Bricks Promo Car Tour

Whitehall will host 150 classic cars touring from near and far and will park in the downtown area on Colby Street. The whole community is invited to come out and join in the fun and festivities. This is June 13 from 3:00pm-8:00pm. www.whitelake.org

06/13/15 – Muskegon Risers Home Game

We have a new soccer team! The Muskegon Risers Soccer Club is an independent professional men’s soccer team whose highest priority is continuing the growth and excitement surrounding soccer in the greater Muskegon area. The Risers will strive to be a professional representation of local soccer through both on-field performance and off-field community service. What is a Riser? A person of the Muskegon area who understands the area’s potential and who pushes themselves and others to realize that potential. Individual game tickets are $5. Saturday, June 13, they take on Brujos FC at 6:00pm at Reeths-Puffer High School Soccer Field. www.muskegonrisers.com

06/13/15 – Muskegon Clippers Home Game

The Muskegon Clippers feature college players from Junior Colleges to Division 1 Universities playing baseball at Muskegon’s historic Marsh Field during the summer months. Saturday, June 13 it’s a double header with the first game at 4:30pm and the second at 7:00pm as they take on the Monarchs. Individual game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available. For more information on company picnics, VIP seating and regular tickets please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com.

06/13/15 – Afternoon II Evening 103rd Anniversary Gala

Saturday, June 13, come to the Muskegon Museum of Art for the “Afternoon II Evening 103rd Anniversary Gala”. This year’s Gala takes its inspiration from the painting Afternoon II by Manierre Dawson, a pioneer of abstract painting. The painting is a very important work of art in the MMA collection and is the cornerstone of their summer exhibition Manierre Dawson: Engineering Abstraction. Afternoon II embodies summer with golden tones that Dawson may have drawn from his life as a Michigan orchard farmer and shapes mapped by his earlier engineering training and life in Chicago. Your ticket includes pre-dinner cocktail party with open bar and appetizers and a “Tribute to Michigan” locally-sourced gourmet dinner and dessert served by Hearthstone. After the live and silent auctions, the evening will wrap up with music and dancing. Tickets: $160 per person ($140 for up to two Muskegon Museum of Art members). Call 231-720-2571 to purchase Gala tickets by May 30. Presenting sponsors are Hines Corporation and Van Kampen Molinari Boyer Foundation.

Ongoing Events:

Collector’s Corner: Beatles Memorabilia

Armchair Archeology

Colossal Avian Avatars

‎The Muskegon Museum of Art announces that Avian Avatars, an art installation of five colossal sculptures, each symbolizing a mythical bird, designed by The Myth Makers, artists Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, will arrive in Muskegon on April 27, 2015. The sculptures are crafted from maple saplings, wire ties, and found objects, and stand from 18 to 26 feet tall. Each of the sculptures will be installed in a different downtown Muskegon location for a full year. Avian Avatars is currently on display in the Garment District of New York City, from where it will travel directly to Muskegon.

Since the beginning of human history cultures have identified birds as mythic and transformational. Their seasonal plumage has indicated change, signaled migration and foretold impending weather events. The Phoenix, Garuda, Horus, Ra, Thunderbird and angel iconography all address transcendence and rebirth. “The world’s most symbolic birds–the Raptor, Owl, Crow, Pigeon, and Falcon–are flocking to Muskegon, Michigan, to consider our changing world,” state the artists.

Each bird in the installation represents a unique myth. Avian Avatars is meant to indicate transformation, encouraging the public to heed to the stories about current human impact on the changing natural world. The sculptures are also intentionally made not to be permanent. Typically, per the artists, they last four to five years in any installation.

Each monumental bird has something to say. They speak in different voices and from unique perspectives, but this gathering of Avian Avatars-The Realist, The Great Spirit, The Scold, The Tourist, and The Tastemaker-is meant to raise an alarm, speaking to modern humans who should heed their varied stories about the current human impact on their changing natural world.

Muskegon South Pierhead Light Tours

Muskegon Historic Sites Open For Tours

in the late 1800s, they feature lavish wood carvings, stenciling, stained glass windows, and period furnishings. They are two of the finest examples of Queen Anne Style Victorian homes in the country. The site is located at 484 West Webster Avenue at Sixth Street. Admission is $7 for adults and teens, $5 for seniors 65 and older. Visitors 12 and younger are admitted free. www.lakeshoremuseum.org

‘Veterans’ Stories’

For more information on the Veterans’ Stories exhibit, contact Frank Marczak, associate director of the USS Silversides Museum, at (231) 755-1230.

Michigan’s Adventure Park

Beach Towne Trolley Rides

‎All ages love to take a ride on Muskegon’s Beach Towne Trolley during the summer months!
Routes and Operating Hours
Beach-Towne Trolley – 12:00pm–6:48pm
Operating Days
Six Days a Week, Monday – Saturday
Memorial Day – Labor Day
Single-Ride Cash Fare
Standard $1.25
Senior/Disabled $ .60

Reading by Any Means Necessary

Manierre Dawson: Engineering Abstraction

‎Manierre Dawson: Engineering Abstraction, an exhibition of works by a pioneer in American abstract painting with Michigan roots, will open at the Muskegon Museum of Art on Thursday, April 30 and run through August 9. Manierre Dawson was born Chicago in 1887 and lived there until moving to Ludington, Michigan in 1914 to run his family’s farm. He painted and sculpted during his years there, until his death in 1969. muskegonartmuseum.org

Molly Diana Murphy: Transformative Law

Muskegon Farmer’s Market

Muskegon Heights Farmer’s Market

White River Light Station Museum Opens for Tours

‎See, hear, smell and touch the history of the Civil War, Michigan’s lumbering industry and tourism at Whitehall’s White River Light Station as they open for tours May 23 through October 31. There are 56 steps to climb if you are up to it! They are open Tuesday -Sunday, 10:00am-5:00pm. They are located at 6199 Murray Rd., Whitehall. on the White Lake Channel. www.whiteriverlightstation.org

Dawn of the Space Age

‎See space travel from the beginning with a NEW program at the Carr-Fles Planetarium! From the launch of Sputnik to the future of Mars exploration, “Dawn of the Space Age” is an incredibly accurate reconstruction that gives you the chance to become a first-hand observer, and concludes with a brief planetarium dome demonstration of the current night sky. No reservations are needed for this FREE show on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. (doors open by 6:45), which runs April 7-23 and May 19-June 11. The planetarium is in room 135 on the main campus of Muskegon Community College, 221 S. Quarterline Rd, Muskegon. For more information, or to schedule a private show for groups of 15-44, please call (231) 777-0289 or email tamera.owens@muskegoncc.edu.

‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’

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.

Fricano’s Cruise-Ins

Throwback Thursday

10:00am -12:00pm AND 2:00pm -4:00pm

June 4 – Games of the Past
June 11 – Looms
June 18 – Calling Cards
June 25 – Ice Cream Making
July 2 – Portraits
July 9 – Stationery Design
July 16 – Superheros
July 23 – Hanky Fairies / Doily Dolls
July 30 – Painters for the Day
August 6 – Wood Carvings
August 13 – Wall Paper Banners
August 20 – Family Tree Activity
August 27 – Mosaics

Muskegon Heritage Museum Tours

Fruitport Charter Township Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes Of April 27, 2015

A work session of the Fruitport Charter Township Board began at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2015, in the township board room.

Members Present: Brian Werschem, Supervisor; Carol Hulka, Clerk; Rose Dillon, Treasurer; Trustees Ron Becklin, Dave Markgraf, Marjorie Nash, and Chuck Whitlow. Members Absent: None

At 7:00 p.m., Supervisor Werschem opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.

Also Present: 4– residents; 0– employees; DPW Director, Farrar; Public Safety Director, Doctor, and Attorney Ron Bultje

The motion by Dave Markgraf, supported by Marjorie Nash, was carried unanimously, to approve the April 13, 2015 meeting minutes—regular meeting—with the following change:

Item 15-050 Closed Session to Discuss Legal Matters with Attorney
(a.) Was: Chuck Whitlow moved, seconded by Carol Hulka, MOTION CARRIED, to go into closed session at 8:07 p.m.

(a.) Correction: Chuck Whitlow moved, seconded by Carol Hulka, MOTION CARRIED, to go into closed session at 8:07 p.m. to consider a written opinion from the township attorney.
The motion by Rose Dillon, seconded by Dave Markgraf, was carried unanimously, to approve the April 27, 2015 meeting agenda with the following addition: Approval of 04-13-2015 Board Minutes—closed session.

The motion by Chuck Whitlow, seconded by Rose Dillon, carried unanimously, to approve the April 13, 2015 meeting minutes—closed session—as presented.

PUBLIC COMMENTS – none received

CORRESPONDENCE / REPORTS
1) Michigan Townships Association (MTA) legislative up-dates

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
15-052 Second Reading and Adoption- Junk and Inoperable Vehicle Ordinance
Dave Markgraf moved, Ron Becklin seconded, MOTION CARRIED, to add a new Article IV to Chapter 6 of the Code of Ordinances, entitled Junk and Inoperable Vehicles, which provides for the regulation of the storage of junk and inoperable vehicles and motor vehicles, and to provide for an effective date which is 30 days after its publication in the Muskegon Chronicle.

This constitutes the second and final reading. The new Ordinance number is 786.

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

15-053 Second Reading and Adoption- FEMA Floodplain Management Provision of the State Construction Code Ordinance
Rose Dillon moved, Marjorie Nash seconded, MOTION CARRIED, to add a new Article IV to Chapter 6 of the Code of Ordinances, entitled Floodplain Management Provisions, to designate an enforcing agency to discharge the responsibility of the Charter Township of Fruitport, and to designate regulated flood hazard areas under the State Construction Code Act, and to provide for an effective date which is 30 days after its publication in the Muskegon Chronicle.

This constitutes the second and final reading. The new Ordinance number is 787.

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

15-054 Resolution of Intent for Participating in the National Flood Insurance Program
Dave Markgraf moved, Ron Becklin seconded, MOTION CARRIED, for the adoption of a resolution to participate in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (“FEMA”) National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) by complying with the program’s applicable statutory and regulatory requirements for the purposes of significantly reducing flood hazards to persons, reducing property damage, and reducing public expenditures, and providing for the availability of flood insurance and federal funds or loans with its community.

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

15-055 Resolution to Manage Floodplain Development
Ron Becklin moved, supported by Marjorie Nash, MOTION CARRIED, for the adoption of a resolution to manage Floodplain Development for the National Flood Insurance program.

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

15-056 Second Reading and Adoption- 2012 International Fire Code
Chuck Whitlow moved, supported by Dave Markgraf, MOTION CARRIED, to adopt the 2012 edition of the International Fire Code, regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of building and premises in the Charter Township of Fruitport; providing for the issuance of permits for hazardous uses or operations; repealing prior inconsistent ordinances including Ordinance No. 770, and providing for an effective date which is on May 13, 2015.

This constitutes the second and final reading. The new Ordinance number is 788.

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

NEW BUSINESS
15-057 Fruitport Soccer Club Request
(a.) Dave Markgraf moved, seconded by Ron Becklin, MOTION CARRIED, to excuse Supervisor Brian Werschem from the Board meeting because of a conflict of interest involving the Fruitport Soccer Club request.

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

(b.) The motion by Dave Markgraf, supported by Marjorie Nash, was carried unanimously, to have Trustee Dave Markgraf preside over the board meeting during the discussion of the Fruitport Soccer Club request.

(c.) The Fruitport Soccer Club has done fundraisers raising $30,000 towards improvements for the soccer park. A request was made for financial support to finish fields at the Townships Sheringer Park

Chuck Whitlow moved, supported by Ron Becklin, MOTION CARRIED, for the Township to pay $40,000 for the Sheringer Park improvements contingent on a site lease agreement for use of the Park with the Fruitport Soccer Club paying $4,000 year-1, $4,000 year-2, $4,000 year-3, and $3.000 year-4 for said lease agreement.

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

15-058 First Reading- Zoning Test Amendment Ordinance regarding Standards for Reviewing Special Use Applications
On April 21, 2015, the Planning Commission made a recommendation to the Township Board to amend Section 42-157 of Chapter 42 of the Fruitport Charter Township Code of Ordinances concerning the general standards for reviewing special use applications.

This constitutes the first reading. Final action will take place at the next regular scheduled meeting on May 11, 2015.

15-059 West Michigan Spay & Neuter Clinic Resolution for Charitable Gaming License
Rose Dillon moved, seconded by Carol Hulka, MOTION CARRIED, to authorize the West Michigan Spay & Neuter Clinic of Fruitport, county of Muskegon, be recognized as a nonprofit organization operating in the community for the purpose of obtaining a charitable gaming license.

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

15-059 Payment of Bills
Dave Markgraf moved, Ron Becklin seconded, MOTION CARRIED, to approve bills for payment in the following amounts: General Fund & Parks: $16,681.54; Public Safety $32,821.20; Water: $375,692.13; and Sewer: $20,965.22 Total: $446,160.09

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

PUBLIC COMMENTS #2 – None received

The motion by Dave Markgraf, seconded by Ron Becklin, was Carried Unanimously, to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 p.m.

CAROL HULKA, CLERK BRIAN WERSCHEM, SUPERVISOR

– HULKA, CLERK BRIAN WERSCHEM, SUPERVISOR

Advisory: Manhunt: Escaped Killers ‘Could Literally be Anywhere’

*** This is a Public Safety Alert ***

*** This is NOT a Blue Alert ***

=== Very Dangerous Escapees could be ANYWHERE. ===

New York State is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and arrest of Richard Matt and David Sweat, the two convicted murderers who escaped from an upstate maximum security prison, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today.

The governor called the offer of $50,000 for each prisoner an unusual step for the state, but said “it is appropriate.””These are dangerous men,” Cuomo said, adding that they are “capable of committing grave crimes once again.”

New York state officials are investigating whether a civilian staff member or contractor helped a pair of convicted murders to escape from a maximum-security prison near the Canadian border, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday.

Several hundred law enforcement officials were in their third day of searching for Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, who went missing from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, about 20 miles (30 km) south of the Canadian border.

The U.S. Marshals Service and FBI joined hundreds of other officers searching for Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, according to The Associated Press. Both men are considered to be a danger to the public and should not be approached, state police said.

“I would be shocked if a guard was involved, and that’s putting it mildly,” Cuomo told CNN. “But we’re looking at the civilian employees now and the private contractors to see if possibly if a civil employee or contractor was assisting the escape because they wouldn’t have equipment on their own, that’s for sure.”

A female employee of facility was interrogated by investigators who viewed her as a possible accomplice, the New York Post reported on Monday, citing unidentified sources.

New York is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the men it describes as dangerous and have notified law enforcement in Canada and Mexico about the fugitives, the first to escape in the prison’s 150-year history.

The pair are believed to have cut through the steel walls at the back of their adjoining cells and escaped through a steam pipe. They left behind a note reading “have a nice day.”

Cuomo warned that the pair could have traveled a great distance since escaping: “They could be literally anywhere in the country now, these are really dangerous individuals.”

For full details, view this message on the web.

Ask Dr. Universe – What Happens in a Chrysalis?

Dear Dr. Universe, I saw a caterpillar and a butterfly in the neighbor’s yard. So my question is, what exactly happens inside the little sack they’re in while they transform into a butterfly and HOW exactly do they do it? -Eston

Dear Eston,

Springtime sets the stage for one of the greatest transformations in the natural world.

“It’s the construction of a butterfly or moth from caterpillar soup,” said my friend David James, an entomologist at Washington State University. James studies the science behind metamorphosis, or how a creature transforms.

Before becoming butterflies, caterpillars enter the pupa stage, where they build that little sack, or chrysalis. The chrysalis protects the caterpillar as it begins to turn itself into a liquid, soupy substance.

Caterpillars are born with everything they need to become butterflies. Some of these parts develop over time and are visible, like wing buds. The others can’t be seen. But the information for these parts is stored in the caterpillar’s cells, waiting to be unlocked. The caterpillar is also born with the ability to make a substance called an enzyme. The enzyme is a key to unlocking the butterfly from the chrysalis.

During the first couple days of living in the chrysalis, the caterpillar’s enzymes will eat the caterpillar itself. Bit-by-bit, they unlock the information from the caterpillar’s cells. The new butterfly’s organs, wings, antennae, and legs form inside the chrysalis.

With new technology, scientists can peer into the chrysalis. They can see that the pupa is breathing through small tubes and actually watch the different parts start to grow.

It all happens very quickly, sometimes in just a week, James said. A few days before the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, its parts finish forming. Then, the chrysalis turns a very a dark color. About 24 hours before the butterfly comes out of the chrysalis, colors and patterns start to develop on the wing cases that cover the forming wings.

“The butterfly begins pushing with its feet against the shell covering its legs, antennae and proboscis,” James said. The proboscis is the long coiled mouth-trunk it will use to drink nectar.

Butterflies come out very soft, so their wings are pretty droopy. Blood goes out their body and starts circulating up through their wing veins. This helps their wings stand up.

“After another hour or so the wings are dry and the butterfly or moth can take its maiden flight,” James said.

While scientists are discovering more about what goes on inside the chrysalis and how it happens, they are still eager to discover exactly why it happens at all.

James suspects it has to do with how they evolved. Caterpillars and butterflies eat different parts of plants. Caterpillars like leaves and butterflies like to drink nectar. Since they don’t have to compete for the same food, it makes it easier to survive. Metamorphosis also helps the insect make new colonies and reproduce, James adds.

While it’s possible to do this when inching around, species can go faster and further when they spread their wings and fly.

Sincerely,

Dr. Universe

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

Vintage Garden and Car Show July 11 in Downtown Muskegon

Muskegon, MI—Muskegon’s second annual Heritage Village Neighborhood Garden and Car Show will take place Saturday, July 11, 2015. The event will run from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Clay Avenue, between Fourth and Seventh Streets in downtown Muskegon, Michigan.

The purpose of the Garden and Car Show is to raise funds to re-light the vintage street lights in Heritage Village neighborhood and to raise awareness of this unique and historic area. The Village encompasses an area between Second and Ninth Streets, bordered by Muskegon and Clay Avenues. As part of an earlier restoration of the neighborhood, twenty-eight ornamental street lamps were installed with funding from the Muskegon Heritage Association in the mid-1970s. With support from the City of Muskegon, the lights were an integral part of the village street lighting for decades. With funding no longer available, the lights have been dark for the past three years. Sponsors of the Garden and Car Show hope to “light up Heritage Village” with the proceeds from the Garden and Car Show event.

Features of the Heritage Village Neighborhood Garden and Car Show

A display of vintage cars and other vehicles, including campers
Private and public garden tours
Musical entertainment in the gardens
Food and non-alcoholic beverage tents will offer sandwiches, popcorn, ice cream, water, and soft drinks
Life-size human foosball tournament
Discounted tours of the Hackley House at the Lakeshore Museum Center’s Hackley Hume historic site.
Super Saturday free family fun activities at the Muskegon Museum of Art
Downtown Muskegon merchandise coupon book sale

Event tickets can be purchased at the gate for $10 per person or $20 per family. Tickets include admittance to all the garden tours and other activities, Hackley House tour discount, and a free bag of popcorn.

For more information, visit muskegonheritagevillage.org. To ask about sponsorship opportunities, e-mail info@muskegonheritagevillage.org. For car show registration information, e-mail carshow@muskegonheritagevillage.org.

Michigan Author Wins Top Prize

Writer’s Digest, one of the nation’s prestigious national literary organizations, has awarded its 2015 Grand Prize to a first-time fiction author, Steve LeBel of Muskegon, MI.

LeBel received the honor for his novel, a humorous fantasy and science fiction work entitled The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Putty.

The book, which LeBel began in 2012 and published last year through Argon Press, not only received the Writer’s Digest grand prize, but took the top honor for the year in the young adult category.

The Universe Builders is a whimsical tale of Bernie, a fresh graduate of God School, who has landed a probationary job in which he must create his first universe.

The young god has talent, intelligence and an enemy who threatens his future by secretively sabotaging Bernie’s work at every opportunity. LeBel says the plot focuses on the struggle between good and evil with many twists and built-in smiles and chuckles.

The grand prize, which includes a $3,000 award and an interview in the May edition of Writer’s Digest magazine, comes as shock since it is his first work of fiction.

Speaking with readers at several book-signings events in West Michigan, LeBel said he knew readers enjoyed the book. “But this award exceeded my fondest hopes,” he said. “We’re thrilled with the reception the book has received. Wonderful reviews have been coming in ever since it was published. Everyone tells me I need to write more stories about the universe builders.”

The Universe Builders appeared in ebook and print form last year, attaining best-seller status on Amazon and ranks as one of Amazon’s top-rated books in both the fantasy and science fiction genres.

LeBel holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and counseling from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. He began his career counseling youngsters who were sabotaging their own lives with drugs. He went on to spend 17 years as president of a psychiatric hospital. He retired from that occupation to found an internet company which he sold after 11 years, beginning a second retirement.

That was seven years ago. LeBel and his wife, Marge, now live in Muskegon with their two cats. He spends his time writing, petting cats, grousing at the stock market, and trying to make sure the 44 years he has invested in his marriage continues.

Muskegon Clippers Baseball Back For Second Season

“Inaugural season a success and exciting additions planned for upcoming season”

Clippers Marsh Field MUSKEGON, Mich., February 12, 2015 –Muskegon’s summer collegiate baseball team, the Muskegon Clippers, was a smashing success during its inaugural season in the summer of 2014. Smashing in more ways than one. Not only did this wooden bat league defy the conventional wisdom of low scoring games but finished the year setting the leagues attendance record. The Clippers battled for the league championship right down to the last game of the year, where they just missed a chance to advance to the National Tournament.

The Muskegon Clippers, part of the Michigan Summer Collegiate Baseball League, is the brain child of local businessman and Clippers owner, Pete Gawkowski. Len Piasecki, president of the Muskegon Lakeshore Baseball Club, welcomed the summer tenant at historic Marsh Field.

The Muskegon Clippers feature college players from Junior Colleges to Division 1 Universities playing baseball at Muskegon’s historic Marsh Field during the summer months. Last year the Clippers had several notable local favorites playing for the team including, Jamie Potts and Patrick Giddings from Oakridge High School, Connor Seymour and Jason Ribecky from Muskegon Catholic Central High School and Cody Houts and J.P. Batts from Spring Lake High School. The Muskegon Clippers are coached by longtime Mona Shores and North Muskegon High School baseball coach Walt Gawkowski.

“We were very pleased with the community support and the product we put on the field last year”, said Pete Gawkowski, local business man and owner of the ball club. “We created a great experience for the fans, had high scoring competitive games, and set the stage for another great year at Marsh Field.

Part of what made the season such a success beyond the quality baseball, was the fan experience initiated by Gawkowski and Piasecki. A party deck was established at Marsh Field which provided a VIP seating experience and party atmosphere. The concession food offerings were enhanced beyond the traditional hot dog and adult beverages were available for purchase. In addition, walk up music for each Clipper batter was used to add excitement to the game. Crowd participation with the action on the field and between innings became part of the uniqueness of Clipper baseball. And finally, kids were allowed to run the bases after the games.

Jim Grevel, Director of Player Development for the Muskegon Clippers has several players from last year committed to returning again this year. In addition, he has signed some star players from Universities around the State and the Midwest, including Ashland University in Ohio, Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Northwood University in Michigan.

To help accommodate the players coming in from out of state, the Clippers are looking for Host Families willing to host a player during the summer season. Each Host Family is asked to commit to providing a bedroom, access to a washer and dryer and daily meals. The Clippers will assist the host family with a monthly stipend to help offset expenses. Host families are not required to provide transportation.

Several new things are in the planning stages for even more fun at Marsh Field this year. Opportunities for company picnics, which would include food, beverages, kids’ activities and a baseball game, are being formulated. Special group ticket sales information will be released soon. More fan friendly games and entertainment will be added to the experience. Special promotional events will be added for each home game to recognize special groups in the community. Of course, the party deck will still provide for VIP treatment and will be available to rent.

The Muskegon Clippers home opener will be May 29, 2015 at 7:00pm, at Marsh Field, against the Motor City Pride from the Detroit area. Individual game tickets are $5 for adults; $3 for students and senior citizens; children under 12 are free. Season ticket and group sales packages are also available.

For more information on company picnics, VIP seating and regular tickets please contact: Len Piasecki at 231-750-0331 or len@playmarshfield.com. For Host Family information please contact Pete Gawkowski at 231-638-7696 or ptgawkowski@gmail.com.

Ottawa County is Healthiest in Michigan

Ottawa County is healthiest in Michigan according to new rankings released today

OTTAWA COUNTY – Ottawa County ranks 1st out of 82 counties in Michigan for healthy people, according to the sixth annual County Health Rankings (CHR), released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). A snapshot of Ottawa County’s overall rank is at http://bit.ly/1DUoJfa and the CHR summary report is at http://bit.ly/1y3udNz.

Annual rankings show where counties do well and also where there are opportunities for improvement. Since 2014, Ottawa County improved or maintained in 85% of the 35 indicators that make up the ranking. While Ottawa County is the healthiest county in Michigan, the state ranks 34th in the nation.

“The County Health Rankings is a great opportunity to show how Ottawa County’s community members, hospitals, schools and agencies partner together; all contributing to our #1 rank,” said Lisa Stefanovsky, Health Officer with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health.

Additionally coming this May, the 2014/2015 Ottawa County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) report will be presented at the Ottawa County Fillmore Complex. The CHNA is a study that helps to identify health and health service issues; by gathering feedback from individuals, health care professionals and other community leaders. Results from the CHNA are similar to the CHR report, but more defined for Ottawa County. The public and media are encouraged to attend to discuss the results and start planning on ways to improve residents’ healthy outcomes.

More information is to come at www.miottawa.org/healthdata or call Marcia Mansaray, OCDPH Epidemiologist at (616) 494-5598 or mmansaray@miottawa.org to register for the May CHNA report release and forum.

Strengths
• Residents enjoy longer life expectancies and better overall health.
• Higher child and adult immunization rates.
• Lower obesity rates.
• Lower smoking rates in adults.
• Higher activity levels.
• More mothers seek prenatal care.

Opportunities for Improvement
• Access to primary care; medical, dental and mental health.
• Binge or heavy drinking.
• Death rates from Alzheimer’s.
• One in four youth report depression; 34% females and 15% male.
• One in four teens pregnant (15-19 years of age).
• Increase in chlamydia cases.

Sources
County Health Rankings www.countyhealthrankings.org and Ottawa County rank http://bit.ly/1DUoJfa
Ottawa County CHNA Summary www.miOttawa.org/CHNA2014 or http://bit.ly/1IrlCu0
Ottawa County Youth Assessment Survey www.miOttawa.org/2013yas

Ask Dr. Universe – Can You Grow Clothing?

Dear Dr. Universe:   Can you grow stuff like thread, cloth, silk, and most importantly, clothing? – Jay, Colorado

We can use all kinds of animal, bug, and plant materials to make cloth. Even some of the tiniest living things on the planet can make cloth, too.

I heard about this from my friend Hang Liu, a Washington State University professor who studies the science of materials we use and wear every day. These tiny organisms, microbes, do lots of jobs in the world. They’re at work in soil, some help bread rise, and others can sometimes make us sick. Chances are your clothes didn’t come from microbes, though. It’s likely your T-shirt started as a seed.

Plants make something called cellulose. It keeps their cell walls strong. When farmers plant cotton in their fields, the soft cellulose fibers from the plant can be processed into thread and fabrics.

Some microbes can actually spin cellulose into cloth. The recipe for microbe cloth calls for a few ingredients. The main one is kombucha, a sweet tea full of bacteria and yeast. Some people drink it to help with digestion. When sugar, yeast, and more microbes are added to the tea, a thick, gooey layer starts to grow.

After the layer dries out, a very thin, leathery material is leftover. This material can fuse to itself as it dries. It doesn’t have to be sewn together with thread. Designers can shape it into pieces of clothing including shoes and jackets– or even hats with ears, for cats like me.

As Liu told me more about fibers, she pulled a silkworm cocoon out of her office drawer. Silkworms live in mulberry trees, the closest thing to trees that can grow fabric. Mulberry trees can grow their own kind of spongy bark cloth right inside their trunks. The silkworms also help make fabric.

Up in the mulberry branches, they munch on leaves and berries, getting ready to make their cocoons, small waystations they use to get ready for the next stage of their lives. They spin their cocoons with silk that comes right out of their mouths. People use the soft fibers from cocoons to make silk fabric and thread.

Fabric and thread can also be made from animal hair. Wool from llamas and sheep, for example, can also be spun into one of my most favorite things, yarn.

One big part of Liu’s research is figuring out the best way to recycle cloth using her knowledge of these natural materials and fibers. She’s looking for the best ways to make new cotton tee shirts out of old ones. She showed me a spool of recycled cotton fibers she made in her lab. The wispy, white fibers look fragile, but the cotton is very strong.

This kind of sustainable, recycled clothing is good for both the people who wear it and the planet. That’s something that will never go out of style.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

Got a question? Ask Dr. Universe. You can send her an email atDr.Universe@wsu.edu or visit her website at askdruniverse.com.

Consumers Energy Contributes $25,000

Consumers Energy Contributes $25,000 to Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator Supporting Farmers and Entrepreneurs

Photo courtesy of Paul Sachs

Consumers Energy representatives presented a $25,000 check to Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator officials on Friday. The contribution will support new business development centered on commercializing ag-technology ideas and innovations. The Incubator specializes in helping farmers and agriculture-related entrepreneurs turn their machine, equipment, or software ideas and inventions into profit generating assets or new businesses.

Y’s Club 2015 White Elephant Sale

Y’S CLUB 2015
WHITE ELEPHANT SALE

TO: Our Supporters in Muskegon and North Ottawa County
RE: 52nd Annual Y’s Club White Elephant Sale—Let Us Help You Spring Clean!

The Muskegon Y’s Club will hold its 52nd Annual White Elephant Sale at 640 Seminole Road – Norton Shores, (Folkert Community Hub – Side Entrance). The times are:

Friday, May 8 9:AM to 7:PM
Saturday, May 9 9:AM to 3:PM

AGAIN THIS YEAR – Early birds admitted at 8:AM Friday – with a $5.00 donation

Since 1963, the White Elephant Sale has given our club an opportunity to help children in a very positive away. Because we all are volunteers, monies raised from the White Elephant Sale go directly to the YMCA and Camp Pendalouan. The bulk of the money is used to finance camp scholarships for a significant number of children in the area.

You can help in a variety of ways: Excess saleable inventory from businesses is most welcome. We also move large amounts of furniture and household goods, office equipment, tools, building materials and supplies. We will pick it up at no cost to you. Should you be unable to donate any merchandise, you can support the White Elephant Sale by donating gift certificates or by making cash donations. We are an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and will provide you with a receipt at the time of pick up to support your organization’s tax deduction.

THIS IS A CALL FOR ITEMS TO SELL

We look forwarding to hearing from you. We are setting up our sale site and will be ready to make pick-ups, beginning Monday, April 6th. To schedule a pick up, (or drop-off time) please call 231-727-9900. We thank you for your support. YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

Muskegon Y’s Club 900 W. Western Muskegon, MI 49441

Spring Lake Early Childhood Special Education

WHAT IS THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM?

The E.C.S.E. was established to give special help to preschool children from 3 to 5 years of age who show a delay in one or more areas of their development. Most often a delay in their understanding or use of language is an indication that children may benefit from this program. The small class size, individual attention, and specialized staff provide an environment that fosters the development of each youngster’s speech and language, fine motor, gross motor, social, self help, general knowledge and readiness skills.

HOW DOES A CHILD QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM?

A child who is experiencing difficulties in one or more of the following areas may be eligible for this program.

-a delay in his use or understanding of language
-a slower rate of development than other children his age
-perceptual or sensorimotor difficulties
-inability to control emotions and/or severe behavior problems
-mental impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment

When a child is referred for possible placement in the E.C.S.E. classroom, he may be evaluated by the School Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, Special Education Teacher, and other appropriate professionals to establish eligibility for this early intervention program.

WHO CAN REFER A CHILD FOR THIS PROGRAM?

Many preschool children with special needs are referred by parents, doctors, or area preschool teachers. Others are identified during the Spring Lake Child Find Preschool Screening. Referrals may be addressed to Dana Miller, Teacher of the Early Childhood Special Education program (616-846-5503 ext. 4225).

Prolife Media Campaign Instills Sanctity of Human Life For All

In February, Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund launched a state‑wide educational campaign named the compassion project which includes TV spots and short films featuring women who share why they are prolife. These women bring a quiet voice to a noisy debate. Their life experiences convey a fresh perspective to an ongoing discussion: Is abortion justified in certain circumstances?

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Those in favor of abortion have pointed to survivors of rape to justify legalized abortion. There is a misconception that women who become pregnant from rape want to abort their children. This is a false stereotype not supported by fact. To counter this misconception, Right to Life of Michigan launched the compassion project. The women featured in the compassion project share why they believe rape should not be used as a reason to justify abortion.”

The compassion project was originally created to instill the truth that every life has immeasurable value. These women had the strength to publicly tell their stories in the hopes of bringing a renewed awareness to the sanctity of every human life. Their compassion cannot be dismissed or ignored – no matter the circumstances of their conception. There are tens of thousands of individuals among us who have been conceived in rape, how often have you heard their perspective?

The compassion project ads feature two women, Mary and Travon, who were conceived in rape. Mary discusses how she wouldn’t be here if she was aborted and how all the lives she’s affected would be different. Travon shares about the time she asked her mom why she wasn’t aborted and how her mom protected her.

Listing said, “We are proud to stand alongside these courageous women and reaffirm their dignity as persons equal to every other person.”

Hopefully, you’ve seen the compassion project ads on TV already, but make sure you go to Right to Life of Michigan’s website at www.RTL.org and see Mary’s and Travon’s full stories. The short films are about five minutes long and worth your time.

Another television ad running alongside the compassion project is entitled “Life Itself” and relays the idea of the wonder and hope of life itself.

Learn more about the compassion project and view these prolife advertisements at www.RTL.org.

How to Start a Successful Cottage Food Business in Michigan

Michigan’s Cottage Food Law allows those with an entrepreneurial spirit the opportunity to sell certain foods made in their home kitchens, to the public. These foods are to be sold face to face at places like farmers markets. If you are an individual with an entrepreneurial spirit and are considering selling some of your homemade food products, you may be interested in a cottage food workshop to be held at the Muskegon Downtown Market, 242 W. Western Avenue in Muskegon, Michigan. The workshop will be held April 30th from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

This workshop combines both business and food safety aspects of preparing and selling cottage foods safely and successfully. At the workshop you will find out what foods can legally be produced as well as how to label and sell them. You will learn food safety practices to ensure that you are producing a wholesome product that people will want to buy. You will also pick up techniques to develop, and then maintain a successful small business.

Kay Cummings, an educator with the MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources will be teaching with MSU Extension food safety educator, Jane Hart. The Product Center, http://productcenter.msu.edu/ is a gateway to generating success for Michigan entrepreneurs for the agriculture, natural resources and bio economy sectors.

At the end of the workshop you will receive a certificate to display when you are selling your cottage foods. This certificate states that you have taken food safety training related to Michigan Cottage Foods. The certificate is not required to sell cottage foods; it is for buyers of your products to see that you have taken extra measures to ensure them safe food.

There is a small fee to attend this workshop. You can register for How to Start a Successful Cottage Food Business in Michigan at http://events.anr.msu.edu/CFLMuskegon2015/ . For more information, call Jane Hart at 231-724-6694 or e-mail her at hartjan@anr.msu.edu.

Ask Dr. Universe – Why are ripe fruits sweet?

Dear Dr. Universe: Why are ripe fruits sweet and why is it so important?
-Alexa, Schenzhen, China

Dear Alexa,

My friend Kate Evans said the answer really depends on whether you want the perspective of a person, a plant, or even a cat. Evans is a plant scientist at Washington State University in Wenatchee, where she investigates fruit in the Apple Capital of the World.

She explained how long ago, wild apples actually grew in forests. Without farmers around to plant them in orchards, trees had to scatter their own seeds to survive.

For some trees, the key to survival is growing sweet, ripe fruit. This way they can get forest critters to help spread their seeds.

Bears, for example, were drawn to the apple’s bright colors and sweet taste. Fruit on the outer edge of the tree ripens quickest, so that made it even easier for bears to get to the good stuff. Evans said they would eat the apples and carry the seeds across the forest floor in their bellies.

“The seed came out the other end of the bear, and hence, a new tree could grow,” she adds.

Moving the seed was really important for a tree’s healthy start, so it wouldn’t compete with the mother tree for water or sun.

“It’s a very smart move by the plant,” said Amit Dhingra, my friend and a WSU plant scientist who researches cherries, apples, pears, and all kinds of fruits.

Dhingra said plants are the reason there is life on the planet. Plants have the machinery to convert energy from the sun into their own food and give us the oxygen we need to breathe. Plants and their fruit can also give the human body energy. Dhingra encourages people, and especially growing kids, to eat more of it.

As you eat fruit and other food, a chemical in your saliva makes it easier to digest. The chemical is called amylase.

Fruit has amylase, too. It breaks down starches in the flesh into sugar. That is how fruit can ripen.

To tell how ripe a piece of fruit is, scientists can measure its sugar content. They can cut an apple in half and test it with purple iodine. When an apple is sweet, the purple iodine won’t show up. That’s when they know they have a ripe one.

Humans, and most mammals, can experience sweetness because of their tongues. Most mammals, including humans, have a special combination of two taste receptors in their taste buds. Scientists actually discovered we cats don’t have them. We can taste sour, though.

Not all fruits are sweet. If you’ve ever bitten into a lemon you know it’s a whole other experience. But some insects and animals have their own unique tastes and enjoy lemons, which helped the trees survive.

So, sweet fruit is sweet because plants are actually pretty smart. Using their ripe fruit, trees can move their species forward without ever picking up their roots.

Sincerely,

Dr. Universe

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

Earth’s Next Epoch

By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

I was raised in the Baptist church. As a grade school child, I memorized the books of the Bible. Maybe because of that personal history, when I started to study geology I didn’t resist memorizing the many pieces of the geologic time scale. The next to the last piece of geologic time is the Pleistocene Epoch (known informally by many as the Ice Age). It is followed by the Holocene Epoch (the warm time we are living in now.)

The Holocene Epoch has seen the rise of human civilization. It is the time when people around the world started to shape the surface of the Earth through farming. From the kingdoms of ancient Egypt to the wars of the last century, the history you study in school occurred in the Holocene.

As a geology student I was taught that not only were we in the Holocene, but that we would be for the foreseeable future. But now there’s a move afoot to declare that we are in a new epoch. It’s not just a matter of names, but of our understanding of our place in the world. The new epoch is one in which we humans are taking over the reins from Mother Nature. The proposed new epoch is called the Anthropocene — from “anthro” for people.

Here’s the key: while we humans have been shaping the environment for thousands of years — through farming, early irrigation, and the cutting or burning of forests — our impact on the Earth has been rapidly accelerating.

It’s not easy to see exactly where we should draw the line that marks the start of our biggest impacts. Was it with the Industrial Revolution and the construction of modern cities?

A number of geologists think the line that marks the end of the Holocene should come a bit later.

What’s proposed now is that we declare the Anthropocene Epoch started near the end of World War II. That was the time humans exploded the first nuclear bomb and rival nations started testing nuclear weapons around the world, creating radioactive isotopes that fell to Earth in diverse environments.

This period also saw a new pulse in the increase in global population, as well as the start of industrialization in less developed nations. We poured artificial fertilizer onto fields and produced billions of tons of plastics. The Earth had never seen the like, as a group of scientists called the Anthropocene Working Group recently argued in the journal Quaternary International.

No matter where the line is drawn, the argument is clear that we are entering a new phase of Earth history, one in which we shape more of our own environment. Welcome to the Anthropocene — a time where we are in the driver’s seat. Let’s hope we steer the world as carefully as we can.

Dr. E. Kirsten Peters, a native of the rural Northwest, was trained as a geologist at Princeton and Harvard. This column is a service of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University.

Muskegon Vying for America’s Best Community

The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce is working with local stakeholders to win Muskegon the title of “America’s Best Community”. The group has submitted an application for the America’s Best Communities (ABC) Prize, an economic revitalization program sponsored by Frontier Communications, DISH Network and CoBank.

This multi-stage, multi-year competition will provide support and seed money to winning communities with the grand prize winner receiving $3 million towards their community growth and revitalization plan.

Local stakeholders who partnered to submit the application include the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, the Cities of Muskegon, Norton Shores, and Muskegon Heights, along with local businesses Parkland Development, Alcoa, Parmenter O’Toole, and agencies such as the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission and others.

A panel of independent judges will be reviewing the application and announce the 50 quarter finalists on April 29, 2015. If selected as a quarter-finalist, the community will be awarded a prize of $35,000. The stakeholders plan to use this prize to develop a corridor beautification plan to better access Muskegon’s Lakeshore.

“Muskegon Lake and the region’s Lake Michigan Shoreline are world class,” says Chamber President Cindy Larsen. “Our application centers on the need to visually enhance the community’s main arteries with access to the waterfront.” Access to water is an economic driver that will benefit the entire region attracting new visitors, residents and investment. If chosen, the community will be awarded prize money in 2017 to begin implementing the plan.

Check out the website: www.americasbestcommunities.com to learn more.

Click here for an America’s Best Community Video filmed about Muskegon.

Click here for a video from Country Superstar Vince Gill that features Muskegon.

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Muskegon Casino Project Moves Forward

Band submits application to BIA

Muskegon, Mich. — The approval process for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI) to develop an Indian gaming facility in Muskegon County is advancing to the next step. The LRBOI filed its application Feb. 23 at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regional office to take land into trust for a proposed casino and economic development project to be located on 60 acres of the former Great Lakes Downs racetrack site in Fruitport Township.

“This marks another step forward for the Band and the Muskegon region,” said Tribal Ogema Larry Romanelli, Ogema of the LRBOI. “For the past seven years, we have worked with the Muskegon region to bring viable economic development to both of our communities. This project would jumpstart the local economy and help provide support for expanded tribal government services for our tribal members.”

LRBOI will invest $180 million to build the new casino and economic development project. The project is expected to generate more than 1,200 new jobs in Muskegon County.

The Great Lakes Downs racetrack in Fruitport opened in 1999 and closed in 2007. LRBOI purchased the property in 2008 with plans to build a casino and economic development project. As proposed, the economic development project would include:

• Approximately 69,000 square feet of gaming floor space
• 1,700 slot machines
• 35 table games
• 220-room hotel
• Conference and meeting room space
• Dining and entertainment options

LRBOI opened the Little River Casino Resort in 1999 in Manistee as a tool for economic development and self-sufficiency. The income from the casino has enabled the Tribe to fund numerous important programs for tribal members and to provide employment opportunities for those members residing near the Tribe’s Manistee reservation. But over time, as Michigan tribes have expanded their gaming operations, with half of Michigan tribes operating more than one casino, competition has eroded LRBOI’s income.

“The Band acknowledges this is a long-term investment and we plan to continue to work with the community, state and federal officials to pursue the casino and economic development project to provide much needed jobs and investment in the Muskegon region along with providing revenues to service the needs of our members,” said Tribal Council Speaker Virgil Johnson.

“Our proposed Muskegon casino would provide revenues to help our Tribe meet the unmet needs of its members by providing services that are either lacking or have been diminished over the past 15 years,” added Speaker Johnson. “This project would provide the Tribe the ability to better the lives of tribal members through enhanced tribal government operations and infrastructure, including housing, education, and social services.”

Muskegon County is the home to the Band’s largest population base. Muskegon is one of the Band’s service areas and the Band maintains governmental offices in Muskegon County to serve its members.

Premiere: “The Longest Loss: Alzheimer’s and Dementia”

Harbor Hospice, Mercy Health VNS & Hospice, and Ever Rest Funeral Home Partner to Premiere The Longest Loss: Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Program

Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 1:00pm-4:00pm

Open to the public and free to the community. Harbor Hospice, Mercy Health VNS & Hospice and Dignity Ever Rest Funeral Home & Chapel are sponsoring an upcoming Teleconference. “The Longest Loss: Alzheimer’s and Dementia” will premiere on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 from 1:00pm-4:00pm. The event will take place at Central United Methodist Church at 1101 2^nd Street, Muskegon, MI 49440.

When the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, grief doesn’t wait for death. Grieving can begin in the doctor’s office when patients and families receive confirmation of illness. Over a span of what may be a decade, multiple losses associated with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can become a pervasive part of everyday life for millions of patients, their families and friends. After the death, survivors’ grief may be complicated by the nature of a lengthy disease process that has changed their relationship with the deceased. Through a combination of candid, compelling interviews and live, in-studio discussion, experts will identify how medical and social service professionals can best help patients, families and themselves cope with loss and grief associated with these progressive illnesses.

3-hours of continuing education will be available for $15 through Hospice Foundation of America for nurses, social workers, counselors, funeral directors, clergy, and more. Please verify CE availability with your professional or state board approval and/or refer to HFA’s list of Board Approvals located at www.hospicefoundation.org.

To register or for more information: Go to www.eventbrite.com and then “Search for events” at the top of the page. Search for “The Longest Loss, Muskegon, MI” and click register. Free book to first 50 registrants

For more information call Elisa Downs at Harbor Hospice at 231.728.3442 or Kelly Bricker at Mercy Health VNS & Hospice at 231.672.4663 or email info@HarborHospiceMI.org

Third Annual National FFA Organization Scholarship Program

TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY SEES TREMENDOUS SUPPORT DURING THIRD ANNUAL NATIONAL FFA ORGANIZATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. CUSTOMER DONATIONS INCREASE MORE THAN 25 PERCENT IN 2015 FOR YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS, FFA FUNDING.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (March 25, 2015) – Tractor Supply Company and the National FFA Foundation are proud to report another year growth for their third annual Growing Scholars program. From February 20 to March 1, Tractor Supply customers across the country donated $563,482, an increase of more than 25 percent from 2014 donations. This year’s donations will result in 427 $1,000 scholarships awarded to FFA members in their pursuit of a college degree.

The Growing Scholars program was supported nationally by each of the more than 1,400 Tractor Supply stores as part of National FFA Week. Tractor Supply customers supported local FFA chapters and their members by purchasing an FFA emblem for $1 at store registers during the checkout process. 90 percent of funds raised are being utilized to fund scholarships for FFA members, with the remaining 10 percent benefitting state FFA organizations.

“We have very loyal and giving customers, and to see an increase in support for our Growing Scholars program is a tribute to the kind of customers that shop at our stores,” said Greg Sandfort, Tractor Supply President and Chief Executive Officer. “Being able to provide scholarships to FFA members and funding for state FFA organizations is tremendous because they are a part of Tractor Supply, both as customers and as potential team members. They share the same values and lifestyle that Tractor Supply supports.”

The National FFA Foundation selected FFA members across the United States to receive the scholarships. To be eligible for a scholarship, students must have been current FFA members and either a high school senior or a freshman, sophomore or junior college student seeking a two- or four-year degree or other specialized training program. Major areas of study were also considered when determining scholarship recipients. For the final report of funds raised, visit www.TractorSupply.com/FFA.

“We are thrilled with the results of the third annual Growing Scholars program,” said Molly A. Ball, National FFA Foundation President. “We are very thankful for Tractor Supply’s continued support of FFA and the efforts of its customers to give our youth a chance to grow.”

Tractor Supply Company Announces Third Annual National FFA Scholarship Program

TRACTOR SUPPLY CUSTOMERS DONATED $447,671 FOR YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS, FFA FUNDING IN 2014

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Feb. 11, 2015) – Coming off the heels of a successful second year in 2014, Tractor Supply Company has announced the third annual Growing Scholars program in partnership with the National FFA Foundation. Last year, Tractor Supply customers donated $447,671, resulting in 334 scholarships awarded to FFA members in their pursuit of a college degree.

The Growing Scholars program will be supported nationally by each of the more than 1,400 Tractor Supply and Del’s Feed & Farm Supply stores Feb. 20 – March 1, which includes National FFA Week. Tractor Supply customers can donate $1 or more at store registers during the checkout process to support local FFA chapters and their members. Ninety percent of funds raised through Tractor Supply’s Growing Scholars program will be utilized to fund scholarships for FFA members. The remaining 10 percent of donations will benefit state FFA organizations.

“The funding we received from our customers last year was tremendous,” said Tractor Supply President and CEO Greg Sandfort. “We’re honored to be able to provide critical funding to FFA members who intend to pursue a college degree. Many of these students go on to be agriculture educators – and we know how important ag. ed. is to our communities, customers, and the lifestyle they value. Local FFA chapters enrich the lives of young members by teaching life skills, citizenship and leadership qualities. Giving back to our 1,300-plus communities that we serve is very important, and the Growing Scholars program is one of the ways that we support our current and future customers and future team members.”

To be eligible for the scholarship program, students must be current FFA members and either high school seniors or a freshman, sophomore or junior college student seeking a two- or four-year degree or other specialized training program. Major areas of study will also be considered when determining scholarship recipients.

“We can’t thank Tractor Supply and its customers enough for supporting FFA, student and alumni members and agriculture education in general,” said National FFA Foundation President Molly A. Ball. “The Growing Scholars program truly makes a difference in the lives of our youth.”

Morea Chiropractic Wellness Center “Health & Wellness Talk”

Twice a month Mike Morea, DC opens up his office in Fruitport to the public to come in and attend a “Health & Wellness Talk”.

This presentation is done by Dr. Mike and he will teach you about chiropractic as a lifestyle. This opportunity allows anyone to ask questions and to get a better idea of what chiropractic is and means. Light snacks or a light dinner is provided and each person who joins is given a thank you gift! Please RSVP to join; Call, Email or join on Facebook. This event is open to the public and current patients.

Morea Chiropractic Wellness Center
388 N Third Ave Suite L, Fruitport, Michigan 49415
231-865-7474
info@moreachiro.com
www.moreachiro.com

Facebook: Morea Chiropractic Wellness Center
Twitter: @Moreachiro

Call-for-Entries: All-Michigan Regional Exhibition

Muskegon Museum of Art All-Michigan 87th Regional Exhibition
Entry Registration Days: May 14, 15 & 16, 2015

All Michigan artists, 18 years and older, are invited to submit up to two artwork entries for the chance to show in the Muskegon Museum of Art’s juried 87^th Regional Exhibition. Over $5,000 in cash prizes and purchase awards will be distributed to artists this year. The Regional opens on June 4 and will fill two large galleries at the museum through August 5, 2015.

The Muskegon Museum of Art’s juried Regional Exhibition was one of the first regional art shows established in Michigan and holds a respected position among the state’s art exhibitions of this type. A long list of recognized Michigan artists has exhibited in the MMA’s Regional Exhibition, at the beginning and throughout their careers. In this 87-year tradition, the MMA continues to support Michigan artists.

How to Enter
Entries of two-and three dimensional works created over the past two years by professional and amateur artists are eligible. Art work must be physically brought to the MMA from Thursday, May 14, through Saturday, May 16 or, if shipped, arrive pre-paid by May 13. Electronically submitted entries are not accepted.

Entry registration is open during the following hours:

Thursday, May 14, noon to 8:00 pm
Friday, May 15, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saturday, May 16, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Artists and the public are welcome to view entries during these times. After Saturday, viewing will be closed until the 87^th Regional Exhibition opens on June 4.

Complete guidelines and entry forms are available at the MMA or for download at www.muskegonartmuseum.org.

Y’S CLUB 2015 WHITE ELEPHANT SALE

Y’S CLUB 2015
WHITE ELEPHANT SALE