Author Archives: editor

Carol A. Hulka, Fruitport Charter Township, awarded Certified Michigan Municipal Clerk (CMMC) designation

Fruitport Charter Township – Carol A. Hulka, Clerk, was recently awarded the Certified Michigan Municipal Clerk {CMMC) designation by the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks (MAMC). The CMMC program was launched in January 2014 to encourage City, Township, and Village Clerks to seek continuing education specifically related to the duties of Michigan Clerks. MAMC believes a focus on education is essential for municipal Clerks to provide informed, quality leadership for their communities in the face of constant legislative change and increased demands on Michigan’s public servants.

A Clerk must invest in a minimum of 120 hours of educational programming over three years to qualify for certification, and must continue to obtain education points to maintain the certification. Whether elected or appointed, municipal Clerks serve a powerful role in coordinating public programs and influencing legislative initiatives. Clerk Hulka is to be commended for the hard work, perseverance, and commitment expended to attain CMMC certification and the dedication to providing quality service to the public and the municipality they serve.

Christmastime in Ireland

Mona-Lk---Tony-Kenny-pic

A very special holiday show, Tony Kenny’s “Christmastime in Ireland” will take place at the Frauenthal Theater on Saturday, December 13th, 2014 at 7:30 PM. Tony Kenny is an icon in the world of Irish music receiving dozens of awards for his stage and television appearances. He has entertained over 2 million people across the United States on countless tours to packed theaters.

Continue reading →

A New Community Program That Keeps Cash Local

The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce is partnering with local businesses throughout the Muskegon Lakeshore community to launch a new currency called Lakeshore Community Cash. This program provides Muskegon residents and businesses an easy platform for gift-giving that keeps cash circulating throughout the community.

The program launched last week with 45 participating merchants throughout the Muskegon Lakeshore and nearly $1,000 in Community Cash Certificates have already been purchased. “This new gift certificate program really showcases the quality of merchants we have located throughout our community,” says Cindy Larsen, President of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce.

The community gift certificate program is being launched just before the holidays so those who want to give local gifts this year have an easy way in which to do so. “Hundreds of companies recognize their employees and/or clients’ during the holiday season and this program provides them with an easy platform in which the recipient chooses the actual gift and the money stays local,” Larsen adds.

If all of the 178,000 residents in Muskegon County spend $100 at locally owned businesses, $10.5 million would circulate back in to the local economy. This is because every time a dollar is spent at a local business it circulates quickly throughout the community creating jobs that contribute to the tax revenue and benefit us all.

Lakeshore Community Cash certificates can be purchased in denominations of $5, $10, $20 or $25 and are available online at www.muskegon.org. Once purchased, the certificates can be printed or emailed to a recipient and are then valid at any participating local business. Businesses interested in participating in the program are encouraged to call the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce at 231-722-3751 or mlcc@muskegon.org.

For more, please go to http://www.muskegon.org/community-cash and also to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_RV662wduk

Lakeshore-Community-Cash-Marketing-Flyer-with-businesses

 

ABOUT THE CHAMBER
The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce is the premier business membership organization on the lakeshore representing approximately 1,150 businesses and organizations. The Muskegon Chamber represents businesses of every size and type all over West Michigan. The Chamber is celebrating 120 years in operation working to sustain an environment for business success through community leadership, promotion, inclusive business advocacy and valued member services. The Muskegon Chamber is a three-time award winning Chamber, being named Chamber of the Year for the State of Michigan in 2006, 2010, and 2012 by the Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals.

Media Links

To find dates and details for these organization’s events, please visit the web site listed here.

Right to Life of Michigan:
www.RTL.org

Muskegon Museum of Art:
www.muskegonartmuseum.org

Muskegon Winter Sports Complex:
msports.org

Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts:
frauenthal.org

Community Foundation for Muskegon County:
www.cffmc.org

Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau
– Muskegon County Calendar of Events:
www.visitmuskegon.org
visitmuskegon@co.muskegon.mi.us

Four Pointes – Center for Successful Aging
www.fourpointes.org

 

Read an article from Reader’s Digest about heart attack prevention here: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/how-to-prevent-heart-disease/

Right to Life of Michigan: Infographic contest challenges prolife youth to boldly stand for life

Are you a student, creative, prolife and looking for a way to showcase your talent? Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund is sponsoring the 2015 Sanctity of Human Life Youth Infographic Contest for high school and college-aged Michigan youth.

Contenders who create and submit an original prolife infographic by Friday, January 2, 2015, can participate in the contest. Contestants compete in two divisions based on age, 13 to 17 and 18 to 22. The winner of the 13 to 17 division will win $300, and the winner of the 18 to 22 division will win $500.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “I want to encourage prolife youth to use their creative talent to promote the sanctity of human life. This contest is an incentive for Michigan students to boldly take a stand for life. At the same time, the infographic submissions will be used to educate others on the precious gift of human life.”

An infographic is a graphic or visual representation of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. All submissions for this contest must feature a theme which reflects “the reality of 42 years of legalized abortion.”

Learn about the 2015 Sanctity of Human Life Infographic Contest from Right to Life of Michigan’s web site, www.RTL.org.

Direct Link: 2015 Sanctity of Human Life Youth Infographic Contest

Forgotten Man Ministries Announces Retirement Of Executive Director

Grand Rapids, MI, November 18, 2014

John Fehler 2014
Forgotten Man Ministries (FMM) announces the retirement of John Fehler, Executive Director effective December 31, 2014.  Under his 25-year leadership, the number of jail missions doubled to 36, the number of dedicated workers in the jails increased 300%, and the base of loyal supporters grew substantially.  In his farewell remarks, Fehler said “I thank the Lord for the privilege to lead the army of nearly 2,000 dedicated chaplains and volunteers armed with the message of Jesus Christ into Michigan county jails.”

Fehler‘s tenure with FMM began 35 years ago as a jail chaplain in Alcona and Iosco county jails.  He had served two years as the chaplain at Muskegon county jail prior to joining the staff of FMM’s home office in Grand Rapids. In 1988, Fehler was appointed to be the organization’s second Executive Director.  In retirement he plans to devote more time to his hobbies of fishing, hunting and cooking and looks forward to new adventures with his wife of 44 years, Leah.  The Christian ministry, too, will continue as an important part of his life with time devoted to leading bible studies or occasionally preaching at worship services.

Headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, Forgotten Man Ministries was founded in 1961 to be the hand of the Lord into 36 Michigan county jails by providing chaplains and a comprehensive spiritual program. The non-profit organization is faith-based, multi-denominational and works to restore the spiritual and physical lives of inmates through the support of  volunteers serving inside and outside the jails. The ministry is available to all residents of the county jails served without regard to the inmate’s creed, color, sex or reason for incarceration, and is led by the knowledge that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can and will change lives.

Bill Cariano, currently Assistant Executive Director, has been appointed Executive Director effective 1/1/15.

Forgotten Man Ministries is a 501 C-3 non-profit organization.
For additional information, contact Marilyn Terpstra at:  (office@forgottenman.org)
3940 Fruit Ridge NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49544 / 616.784.4620 / www.forgottenman.org

Free Veterans Identification Cards Now Available

Muskegon County Clerk’s Office now issues Veteran ID Cards.

Veterans may get a card by visiting the county clerk’s office at 990 Terrace Street, on the first floor, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and bringing:
·   Military Discharge Papers (DD214)
·   Photo identification (such as Michigan driver’s license, or Michigan ID card)

The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a motion to allow County Clerk Waters to begin issuing Veterans ID at their meeting on Tuesday, October 28th.
Many businesses offer veterans a discount as a way to express gratitude for their service to our country.  However, the veteran must be able to show proof.  Veterans often do not carry proof of their service.

Clerk staff will take the veteran’s photograph and obtain their electronic signature.  The veterans photo ID card is only available to Muskegon County residents.

Veterans who do not have their discharge papers may get them from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

Jeanne Pezet
(231) 724-6316

Plants Respond to Sounds of Insects Eating Leaves

By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

Plants are not as dumb as they look.

At least to me, plants have never seemed like the brightest bulb in the box. They stand around, looking green, hoping for a sunny day but not able to walk, talk or turn on the TV. However, due to a recent university press release, I’ve got to rethink my attitudes about vegetation.

Two scientists at the University of Missouri, Heidi Appel and Rex Cocroft, studied a plant called Arabidopsis. That’s a common experimental plant, used by researchers because it’s fast growing and a great deal is known about it. Arabidopsis is a flowering plant that you can think of as a cousin to mustard and cabbage.

The researchers let caterpillars feed on a group of Arabidopsis plants. Using special devices, they recorded the sounds or vibrations made by the insects chewing on the leaves.

Next Appel and Cocroft and their team took two new sets of plants and separated them. To one set, they played back recordings of the sounds and vibrations the insects had made as they fed on the Arabidopsis leaves. To the second set of plants, they played back a silent tape – in other words, this second set of plants was the “control” in their experiment.

Then the team let caterpillars feed on both sets of plants. Results showed that the Arabidopsis that had been exposed to the sounds of the insects feeding on leaves had more mustard oils in their leaves than did the control group. Mustard oils are chemicals many insects don’t like and will avoid.

“What is remarkable is that the plants exposed to different vibrations, including those made by a gentle wind or different insect sounds…did not increase their chemical defenses,” Cocroft said in a press release. “This indicates that the plants are able to distinguish feeding vibrations from other common sources of environmental vibration.”

Plants really are not dim bulbs.

“Plants have many ways to detect insect attack,” Cocroft said in the press release. “But [insect] feeding vibrations are likely the fastest way for distant parts of the plant to perceive the attack and begin to increase their defenses.”

Next steps for the researchers include learning more about exactly how vibrations are sensed by the plants and what parts of the complex sounds may be the most important. The results of this type of work are not just academic. A long way down the road, such research may be able to improve crop plants, giving them a natural way to boost their own defenses against insect pests.

“Caterpillars react to this chemical defense by crawling away, so using vibrations to enhance plant defenses could be useful to agriculture,” Appel said. “This research opens the window of plant behavior a little wider, showing that plants have many of the same responses to outside influences that animals do, even though the responses look different.”

I’ve got a new respect for plants — and the researchers who are learning surprising things about them.

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.

Personal Care Product Giveaway

personal-care-productsOn Sunday December 28th, 2014, The Gateway Church will be having its 5th Annual Personal Care Product Giveaway! We are proud to announce that last year we were able to serve over 300 families and individuals in need, with more than 5,000 items!

This year we hope to meet and exceed the number of families and individuals served in previous years! If you or someone you know is in need or could benefit from receiving items such as: shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, laundry detergent, baby products, feminine hygiene products, and or household cleaners, please come or let them know about this event!

Our goal is to help fill in the gap that government assistance does not, and offset costs right after the Holiday season, filling people with hope and removing a financial burden. All items are given away with absolutely no obligation or questions asked.

The distribution of products will begin at 2:30 p.m. on a first come, first served basis, inside the church which is located at 1641 Pontaluna Rd. on the corner of Pontaluna and Harvey, just south of the Lakes Mall. For more information please call 231-799-2141.

West Michigan’s First Outpatient Total Knee Replacement Takes Place at Muskegon Surgery Center

Muskegon, Michigan – The first outpatient total knee replacement procedure at an ambulatory surgery center in West Michigan was performed at Muskegon Surgery Center on Monday, October 13.  Orthopaedic Associates of Muskegon surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Recknagel successfully performed the procedure, also known as total knee arthroplasty, on two patients early Monday morning.  The first patient, Mr. Richard Homan of Spring Lake, was able to walk with assistance before leaving the center at approximately 11:30 a.m., just hours after his surgery took place. “We’ve been researching our pain management protocol for several months in preparation for today’s procedures,” said Dr. Recknagel. “We’re really pleased with how well our first two patients are doing.”

Upon discharge from the surgery center, Mr. Homan went immediately to Shoreline Inn & Suites in downtown Muskegon where a special suite with 24/7 nursing and physical therapy services awaited him and his family. A contractual agreement between Muskegon Surgery Center and the hotel gives knee replacement patients the option to stay at Shoreline Inn in a designated recovery suite with a family member for one or two nights before returning home. Nurses administer to patients hourly, and physical therapy takes place in the patient’s suite overlooking Muskegon Lake, which also includes an ADA bathroom, a recliner, and a separate bed and TV for the accompanying family member.

“This is my fourth joint replacement surgery, and I’m amazed at how well I’m doing just one day after my procedure,” said Mr. Homan.  “I have had absolutely zero pain, and I’m already bending my knee at a 90⁰ angle.  I believe this is due, at least in part, to my being able to recover in such a comfortable, quiet environment.  It’s different than a hospital where the staff is working at a very fast pace.  Here, my wife is my roommate, not another patient.  It’s an ideal arrangement for both of us, and I have no doubt that these surroundings are having a positive impact on my mental outlook, which is allowing me to heal faster.”

muskegon-surgery-centerAccording to CEO Julie Greene, preparations to perform total knee replacements on an outpatient basis at Muskegon Surgery Center have been in the works for almost two years. “The first thing we had to do was get approval from insurance companies to pay for the procedure,” she said.  “We now have agreements with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network, Priority Health and United Healthcare. The cost for inpatient knee replacement varies. However, we are confident that when the same procedure is done on an outpatient basis, the cost savings for the insurance company and the patient can be significant. We are also willing to negotiate rates with companies with self-funded healthcare plans so their employees can have access to this program. This is now a viable option for anyone from West Michigan who is leading a healthy, active lifestyle.”

An article in the October/November issue of AARP Magazine reported that the average cost for knee replacement surgery in the U.S. is approximately $34,000.  Muskegon Surgery Center’s cost is less than half that amount. Historically, surgery centers have also reported lower infection rates, higher patient satisfaction, and lower co-pays than inpatient facilities.

“The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce also played an important role in bringing Muskegon Surgery Center and the Shoreline Inn together for this agreement,” added Greene.  “We anticipate that this will be a draw for people from outside our area who want to have their surgery done on an outpatient basis.  It’s a great example of how two seemingly very different businesses can work together to positively impact the community.”

How ‘bout Them Apples?

By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

Do you have a good gut feeling about apples? Your body may — and that could be important to your overall health.

Some of the components of apples survive their trip through the upper part of the human digestive tract. Non-digestible compounds, including fiber and substances called polyphenols, stand up to chewing and the effects of enzymes in spit. They even remain intact after a bath in stomach acid. These compounds move all the way to the colon, where they undergo a transformation that can be quite beneficial to you.

The non-digestible compounds are fermented in the colon. That’s right, you could say you have a little brewery at work in your body. The fermentation allows for the growth of certain bacteria in the gut.

Which bacteria flourish in your colon really matters. Studies have shown that obese mice have different bacterial families and diversity of bacteria in their gut than do lean mice.

Now researchers at Washington State University have concluded that apples — especially Granny Smith apples — may lead to healthy bacteria in the colon and this, in turn, may help prevent a variety of medical disorders.

“Apples are a good source of non-digestible compounds,” Professor Giuliana Noratto told me. “We have now studied the differences in apple varieties to look for the most useful types.”

Results of the study were recently published in the journal Food Chemistry by Noratto and her co-researchers Luis Condezo-Hoyos and Indira P. Mohanty.

The new research indicates that Granny Smiths contain more non-digestible compounds than many other apples including Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Red Delicious.

As a first step toward understanding the gut processes better, Noratto’s team simulated colon fermentation in test tubes. Fecal bacteria were cultured in apple compounds that survived gastrointestinal enzyme digestion.

“The non-digestible substances in the Granny Smith apples actually changed the proportion of fecal bacteria from obese mice to be similar to what you find with lean mice,” Noratto told me.

Now Noratto is feeding Granny Smiths directly to rats. This takes the ideas suggested by the test tube experiments and tries them out in the real-world condition of flesh-and-blood guts. Noratto expects results from the animal trials sometime in the New Year.

One thing about the rats interested me as an aside. The obese and lean rats are fed the same number of calories each day. But a high fat diet produces overweight rats, while a lower fat diet leads to lean rats. I’ll try to remember that the next time a bowl of ice cream is calling to me.

Down the road, Noratto’s work with apples could be important in the battle of the bulge that so many of us face. Beyond that, it could be useful in combatting diabetes. From Noratto’s perspective, obese people have an unfortunate community of bacteria in their gut. The bad bacteria make for byproducts that can lead to inflammation and influence metabolic disorders associated with being overweight.

It would be interesting if modern science can show that “an apple a day” really is a helpful addition to the human diet. Stay tuned!

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.

Year Round Mobile Farmers Market

VeggieVanOTTAWA COUNTY – The YMCA Veggie Vans are West Michigan’s first and only mobile farmers markets. The vans run year round, making daily stops in urban neighborhoods throughout Ottawa, Kent and Muskegon counties. The purpose of the program is to ensure fruits and vegetables are available to people who otherwise may have limited access to fresh produce. Foods are primarily purchased from local farmers and supplemented by local grocery store partners, to provide customers with quality produce at reduced prices.

“The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of fresh produce from local farmers,” said health educator Lisa Uganski, RD with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health.

Cash, credit/debit cards, Bridge cards, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC and Senior Project Fresh/Market FRESH benefits are accepted at the Veggie Van. For a list of food assistance programs, visit https://www.grymca.org/community-programs/community-based-programs/veggie-van/. The Veggie Van is made possible through the generosity of Blue Cross Blue Shield, Herman Miller Cares and the Muskegon Community Foundation.

A Second Letter to America

By watching the daily news one can clearly see that America is getting farther away from God and still headed straight towards God’s judgment and ultimate destruction.  Too many in America have said “there is no God.”
One of the many reasons Americans have  reached such a high point of unbelief, is because they were brought up in school systems which teaches man’s false idea that every living being started from a single cell and evolved into millions, or even billions, of species, including humans.  Some have theorized humans evolved from ape like beings.
But how a person, who is composed of 200, or 300 trillion highly specialized interrelated cells, can believe that it all started from a single cell, should be beyond belief.  Actually, the single cell theory of evolution only proves Man’s folly.
First, Man totally dismissed God’s legitimate claims that he, God, created Heaven and Earth and everything in them including the first man, Adam.  Second, Man refused to believe the documented biblical history of God dealing with mankind on Earth, where God again and again, demonstrated and proved his awesome supernatural powers.
Among these demonstrations of power, were turning the rivers and waters in Egypt into blood, parting the Red Sea while millions of Israelites crossed on dry ground, and then drowning the very large pursuing Egyptian Army.  After that God proved himself again and again by providing food and water for forty years while His chosen people wandered in the desert.
In the Word of God, the Holy Bible, God showed his chosen people that he had complete control over Earth and the Heavens, because, he wanted them to be witnesses to the rest of the world.  He wanted the people of the world to believe in Him so they would not perish.
This world would be a much better place if people believed in the Living God and followed his just commandments.  We would love each other like the brothers and sisters that we are, because, we are all His children.
God gets no pleasure in his children going to hell.  It is a great tragedy that so many in America are rejecting God and his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins on the cross.  Accepting Jesus and his sacrifice is a must to go to Heaven.
America must return to God.

Manuel Ybarra, Jr.
RR 5 Box 1550
Coalgate, OK 74538
Ph. # (580) 428-3242

Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold

UPDATE: Discount Offer! Mention 7 times 7 and receive $7 off!
Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold

By Maripat Donovan with Jane Morris & Marc Silvia

image002It’s “CSI: Bethlehem” in this holiday mystery extravaganza, from the author of Late Nite Catchism, as Sister takes on the mystery that has intrigued historians throughout the ages – whatever happened to the Magi’s gold? (“We know that Mary used the frankincense and myrrh as a sort of potpourri – they were in a barn after all.”) Retelling the story of the nativity, as only Sister can, this hilarious holiday production is bound to become a yearly classic. Employing her own scientific tools, assisted by a local choir as well as a gaggle of audience members, Sister creates a living nativity unlike any you’ve ever seen. With gifts galore and bundles of laughs, Sister’s Christmas Catechism is sure to become the newest addition to your holiday traditions.


“Christmas Catechism is a nostalgic hoot!” (Springfield News-Sun)
“A gift-wrapped holiday treat, this Catechism should be opened early!” (LA Times)
“Two hours of solid laughs.” (FCCJ Artist Series Review)
“A habit you don’t want to break!” (C&G Newspaper)

Presenter Testimonials
“Having presented all of the shows in EEI’s Catechism series, I believe that Sister’s Christmas Catechism is as good if not better than the others (which are all great). The audience participation that provides the basis for the whole second act keeps it fresh and full of surprises from start to finish. Our patrons loved the show – and it fits wonderfully into the mix of holiday programming.”
Bruce C. MacPherson, Managing Director
Charles W. Eisemann Center, Richardson, Texas

First- Annual Lakeshore Adventure Race set for 2015

May 16 at Pere Marquette Beach
Event to Benefit Muskegon Rescue Mission

 The Muskegon Rescue Mission, one of the first charitable organizations established in West Michigan over 100 years ago, is organizing an inaugural adventure race to support its homeless shelters, food pantry and other outreach services.

The ForeShore Adventure Race will be held at Pere Marquette Beach on May 16, 2015, and will feature over 10 obstacles on a wet and sandy 5k course. Participants can enter as teams or individuals and register for the competitive flight or non-timed flights. There will also be a kid’s zone to make this a truly family friendly event.FS_logo

Kevin Newton, Executive Director of Muskegon Rescue Mission, said “This event is all about racing to overcome life’s obstacles. What sets this event apart from others, beyond its beautiful location, is that all the proceeds benefit the mission.   Every dollar is used to help families in need right here in our community.”

Adventure racing is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and this event is expected to draw thousands from across the state and the Midwest. Tourism officials are excited to introduce visitors to all that Muskegon County’s shoreline and surrounding area has to offer.

“We are excited to host this unique event.  Pere Marquette Park is the perfect venue for an adventure run that marries health and wellness with West Michigan’s greatest natural resource.  We hope this event soon becomes one of the cornerstones that kick off the beach season at Pere Marquette Park for many years to come” said Stephen Gawron, Mayor of Muskegon.

“With the increasing popularity of challenge, mud, and obstacle races, the ForeShore Adventure Race will be an event that will introduce new family audiences to Muskegon County and the lakeshore,” said Bob Lukens, director of the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau.  Bob continued “I’m certain the ForeShore Adventure Race will become a great early-season event to promote the many activities we have available for visitors to the region.”

When it comes to the event, challenges will abound. As if running on sand wasn’t difficult enough participants will climb over, under and through ominous obstacles, all for a good time and a worthy cause. “Plan on getting wet”, commented Newton, “after all, it’s a day at the beach!”

Muskegon Rescue Mission has provided food, shelter, clothing and spiritual direction for those in need since 1907. In 2013 alone 23,908 nights of lodging were provided for homeless men, women and children; 120,856 meals were provided or served.

Sponsors are an integral part of this event, we are pleased to have a foundation of support already in place.

ForeShore volunteers are sponsored by Mercy Health along with First Aid services provided by Pro Med.

Additional committed partners are Kyser Design Werks, Sagestone Media, Digi Marketing, Weber Lumber, and Eagle Eye Photography.

Sponsorship opportunities are available in multiple categories. Contact Jim Boes at jboes@muskegonmission.org for more details.

Learn More:
www.foreshore.org
www.muskegonmission.org

 

2nd Annual – Holiday Book Bash

Features Local Authors in Spring Lake – Friday, Nov. 21, 2014

Spring Lake, MI – Eight local authors are collaborating to provide a stress-free holiday book event at Seven Steps Up in downtown Spring Lake. Meet and greet local authors, purchase books at special pricing, and get your books signed for unique holiday gifts. A cash bar will feature wine, craft beer and cocktails while patrons shop/browse books from: Mystery, pet stories, young adult, novels, memoir, children’s, travel and more. Over 25 titles will be available from eight authors. Local and award winning authors participating at the Holiday Book Bash include:

Roberta F. King (He Plays a Harp – a family memoir)
Tricia L. McDonald (Life with Sally pet series, Quit Whining & Start Writing)
Sue Merrell (Full Moon Friday, One Shoe Off and more – mystery series)
Laura R. Holmes (I’ve Gotta Pack – Travel collection)
John Otterbacher (Sailing Grace – Adventure/memoir)
Margaret Willey (Beetle Boy, Four Secrets, Clever Beatrice series – young adult/children’s)
Janet Vormittag (Dog 281)
Stephen Nauta (Sitting At the Wrong Dinner Table & Help There’s a Dragon in My Head –   Fiction/children’s book on battling anxiety)

The open house style event will take place on Friday, November 21st, from 5- 8 pm. Complimentary edibles and hors d’oeuvres will be featured. Also, shop fair-trade clothing and jewelry from Utopian Marketplace and handmade holiday gifts from the Sisters Crone. Pin Drop concert gift certificates will be available and free gift-wrapping on-site. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted.

The Holiday Book Bash is sponsored by FineLine Creative, Splattered Ink Press, The Bookman and Seven Steps Up. Seven Steps up is located at 116 S. Jackson Street in downtown Spring Lake. 

 

Foundation Scholarship Program Currently Accepting Applications

The Community Foundation for Muskegon County announces that the Foundation Scholarship Program currently accepting applications for the 2015/2016 school year. This application serves the scholarship programs of Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, and Manistee Counties and is administered by the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Applications are available to be submitted electronically at the Community Foundation website, www.cffmc.org. The application process has been streamlined to three easy steps for students and families.

THE ONLINE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS: MARCH 1, 2015

The Community Foundation for Muskegon County administers over 280 scholarship funds and grants hundreds of awards each year to both graduating high school seniors and current college students. The Foundation’s “General Scholarship Application” is used to support scholarship applications for students in Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, and Manistee Counties.

The Community Foundation does not make awards solely on the basis of need. Academic achievement, community involvement, extra curricular activities and financial need are all taken into consideration. All Community Foundation scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis.

Nurses Exhibit to open at USS Silversides Submarine Museum

WE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!!
So said the many nurses who served in WWII

WWII Nurses exhibit posterNurses are so often invisible, but so essential to medical care.  This need was no less important in WWII when nurses cared for wounded American soldiers all over the world.  Seventy-nine women from Muskegon went to war as nurses and served all over the world.  The USS Silversides Submarine Museum will honor the memory of these women with an exhibit that will open 17 November 2014 at 6:00 p.m.  The exhibit features film from the era, descriptions of nursing activities, and a variety of recruiting posters.  Admission is $5.00  for the exhibit opening and allows access to all  exhibits in the museum. The exhibit will continue through February 22nd, 2015.

Come spend a morning or afternoon commemorating women whom WWII veterans called “angels.”   Also coming in January and February:  Theatrical Synergy Productions will perform a play depicting the nurses of Vietnam.  The play is entitled, “A Piece of My Heart.”  More information will be available on the museum website: www.silversidesmuseum.org

The Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts Announces its new Marketing Campaign!

image001The Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts is excited to announce its new marketing campaign, “Love Muskegon – Every Ticket Counts”.  To celebrate the kick off, we will be presenting a local star-studded lineup of talent for “The Frauenthal Follies” Show on November 14, 2014 at 7:30 pm.  The lineup includes: Chris McGuigan and Patrick Johnson, Bob Lukens, Sheila Wahamaki, Steve Gawron, Andrew Zahrt, Emma & Lily Tilden, RC Productions Staff, Big Daddy Fox, Judy Hayner, Connie & Dale Nesbary, Carla Hill, Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Co., Miss Michigan, Miss Teen Michigan, Muskegon Civic Theatre, Blanche Smith, Little Miss Michigan, Kim Sorenson & Kendyl White!  Muskegon County Commissioner Bob Scolnik will be the emcee!

“We are thrilled and honored that so many community leaders and citizens have come together to give us their support,” says Linda Medema, Sales and Marketing Manager for the FCPA.  “To have all these people perform on our beautiful stage guarantees a great night of entertainment in downtown Muskegon!”

“The Frauenthal Follies” is the launch for a new campaign for the Frauenthal Center called “Love Muskegon – Every Ticket Counts”.   Tickets are only $10!  “Our goal is to fill the house, gaining the support of everyone in the community.   Bring your families; buy a ticket for a friend; business owners, be an example of community leadership and buy tickets for your employees! We want everyone to come down and celebrate our campaign kick off!” Medema says.

This is a unique opportunity for the people of Muskegon County to renew their efforts of the “Love Muskegon” campaign.  “The people of Muskegon are embracing and supporting all the wonderful things we have right here in our hometown and we want to draw attention to the arts and all the amazing performances that happen in our facility.  Put the Frauenthal on your radar – start checking out what we have HERE!  We are home to The West Michigan Symphony, Muskegon Civic Theatre, the Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant, The Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree, Red Cross and Muskegon Rescue Mission fund-raisers, Mona Lake Productions, Sika School of Dance, and many others.  As the community begins to understand that“Every Ticket Counts”, every organization holding an event here will benefit,” says Ms. Medema.

The Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts is an important part of the social and economic benefits to the downtown by providing a gathering place for individuals within their community and increasing foot traffic to local businesses. The ticket dollars will help ensure and protect the Frauenthal’s anchor spot in our downtown, and will also help contribute to a stable community where residents and businesses thrive.

Reserve November 14 now for a great night of entertainment!  Tickets for “The Frauenthal Follies” on November 14, 2014 at 7:30 pm are on sale now!  $10 each, all seats reserved.  Call the Frauenthal Box Office, 231-727-8001 M-F 11am – 5:30 pm / StarTickets 800-585-3737 or online at frauenthal.org or startickets.com.

Love Muskegon, Every Ticket Counts!

How Hard Is That?

By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

A good friend of mine checks each morning on the web for the final “Jeopardy” question. It’s the last question on the taped “Jeopardy” program to be broadcast later that day. I don’t go to movies or follow sports, so I’m often at a loss when it comes to many quiz show questions. But recently I was in a position to answer the “Jeopardy” question because of my early training in geology.

The category of the question I got right was “to ‘dum’ it up.” That means, in Jeopardy-speak, that the answer will have the syllable “dum” in it. The clue mentioned that there is a substance a chemist would call aluminum oxide that’s sometimes used as an abrasive. How could it be named with “dum” in the word?

Aluminum oxide, or Al2O3, is well known to geologists. You likely know aluminum oxide with certain impurities in it as the gemstone sapphire. With somewhat different impurities, the gem is ruby. So if you find a deposit of the right kind of aluminum oxide in the back of beyond, your financial problems could be over.

But most aluminum oxide in the world isn’t gem quality. Instead it’s the mineral corundum. That was the answer to the “Jeopardy” question. I knew the answer because like all geology students and many a rock hound, I learned the names and properties of scores and scores of minerals (and a few gems) when I was young. Call it my misspent youth.

Like sapphire and ruby, corundum is very hard. On the scale geologists use to measure such things, it has a hardness value of nine. Some gemstones are eight on the hardness scale. Diamond – the hardest natural substance in the world – has a hardness value of ten.

Most sandpaper is made of small quartz grains. Quartz has a hardness of seven. That’s generally hard enough for smoothing down a bit of wood. Depending on its exact chemical composition, garnet is a bit harder than quartz, and in a good hardware store you’ll find garnet sandpaper. Corundum is harder still, making it an abrasive for tough jobs.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple is investing $700 million to give its new iPhone and smartwatches what are termed “sapphire screens.” The idea is that the screen of the phone won’t be scratched as it rattles around in your pocket or purse with your car keys, and the watch face won’t be scratched if you scape it against a wall – even a brick wall.

Mineralogy to the rescue. But don’t ask what proportion of “Jeopardy” clues I can usually solve.

Dr. E. Kirsten Peters was trained as a geologist at Princeton and Harvard Universities. This column is provided as a service of the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University.  See more columns or listen to the Rock Doc’s broadcasts of them at rockdoc.wsu.edu.

 

Inaugural Lakeshore Restaurant Week Begins November 7th –16th

Muskegon, MI — The inaugural Lakeshore Restaurant Week, organized by the five Muskegon Cumulus Radio Stations of Muskegon, begins Friday, November 7th and lasts through Sunday, November 16th.

Lakeshore Restaurant Week features 15 Muskegon area restaurants offering discounted deals and specials to their customers to promote the variety and quality of area eateries.

Restaurant menus and specials can be found at www.lakeshorerestaurantweek.com, according to Rich Berry, Market Manager for the Cumulus-Muskegon radio stations who are putting on the event in conjunction with the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Muskegon Now and the Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Participating Lakeshore Restaurant Week restaurants include Mia & Grace; Handsome Hobos; the Holiday Inn Third Street Grille; Glenside Pub; CF Prime; Lakeside Café; Verdonis; Pints & Quarts; Northside Pub; Dog House Saloon; Fatty Lumpkins; Mr. B’s Pancake House; and Mangos.

 

Price bills create STEM endorsement option for high school students

Diploma certification would be first-of-its-kind

Michigan students pursuing an advanced degree or a highly skilled career would have a leg up on their competition thanks to legislation sponsored by state Rep. Amanda Price and state Sen. John Proos.

House Bills 5904 and 5905 – and the accompanying Senate Bills 1109 and 1110 – allow students to earn a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) certification on their high school diploma. The STEM endorsement would also be included on student transcripts as the graduates seek technical training and college admittance.

“Equipping our high school students with the right skills and training to be competitive will help them take the next step in their educational careers,” said Price, R-Park Township. “Whether that next step is college or trade school or any other form of technical training, we need to encourage them to pursue their own brighter futures, and these bills will go a long way in setting our Michigan graduates apart from the crowd.”

Gov. Rick Snyder has called for an increased focus on STEM education in Michigan schools. If enacted, the measures would the first of their kind in the United States.

“This initiative is the next step in ensuring that we are doing all we can to help prepare all Michigan students for success and also meet the skilled workforce needs of a growing economy,” said Proos, R-St. Joseph. “Putting this certification on a student’s diploma and transcript will help improve their college resume and their chances to land a well-paying job.”

HBs 5904 and 5905 and SBs 1109 and 1110 will be formally introduced when the Legislature returns to session.

Secretary Johnson: We Must Remember Veterans Day, Sacrifices Made By Veterans

Secretary of State offices will close for the Nov. 11 holiday

LANSING, Mich. – Secretary of State Ruth Johnson reminds residents that, in honor of Veterans Day, all Secretary of State offices and the Office of the Great Seal will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 11. She also encouraged people to thank veterans for their service and sacrifice.

“I had a rare opportunity to visit our troops in the Middle East in 2012 to study how to make overseas voting easier for those in the military,” Johnson said. “I will never forget the sense of honor, duty and patriotism that those young men and women displayed in spite of the terrible conditions. We owe everyone who has ever served this country a great debt for their service and sacrifice.”

Michigan is home to more than 680,000 veterans, the 11th largest population nationally. “Patriotism and service run deep in Michigan,” Johnson added. “This Veterans Day, take a moment to thank a vet for his or her service.”

Originally known as Armistice Day, this special Nov. 11 holiday was first celebrated in 1919 to recognize the men and women who died during World War 1. In 1938, it became an official federal holiday. The name was changed to Veterans Day in the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War to commemorate veterans of all wars.

Most people renewing license plates and driver’s licenses and ID cards can do business online at www.ExpressSOS.com. License plate tabs also can be renewed at Self-Service Stations, many of which are available around the clock. Visit the Branch Office Locator at www.michigan.gov/sos to find a Self-Service Station near you.

 

Armstrong Named National Defensive POW

Submitted by: Rog Garner — Head Women’s Soccer Coach

Lindsay Armstrong of Aquinas College was named the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Players of the Week. Armstrong were selected for her play during the week of October 6-12 and was chosen out of the conference and independent award winners.

Armstrong

The junior goalkeeper from Fruitport manned the net for Aquinas in a pair of 1-0 victories, including a match against then-No. 14 Davenport. In 180 minutes of game action last week, Armstrong lowered her goals against average to 0.38 this season.
In her 13 matches, she has allowed five scores, recorded nine shutouts and currently holds a .906 save percentage.

The Start of a Better Trend for Diabetes 

By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

“Eat right and exercise.”

It’s good advice. But millions of us Americans struggle every day to live up to our hopes regarding diet and activity. Some of us are pretty good at one thing (for me, it’s exercise) but not good at the other (starch and sweets make up too much of my diet). It just ain’t easy to both eat right and exercise, and do so every day.

But maybe we have been making some progress on our personal goals regarding diet and activity. It looks like our collective efforts to address obesity — and associated diseases like diabetes — may be starting to have some results.

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Although the devil is in the details, the publication argues that if you look at Americans as a group, obesity and diabetes are no longer increasing as they had been in recent decades.

As the Los Angeles Times reported recently, the rate at which Americans are being newly diagnosed with diabetes has now actually fallen. The statistic reflects how many new cases doctors found per thousand people. In 1990, for Americans between 20 to 79 years old, the number of new diabetes cases was 3.2. That figure shot up to 8.8 in 2008. The good news is that for 2012, the figure was 7.1, a downward trend worth celebrating.

But three groups are not participating in that improvement. They are Latinos, African Americans, and people with only a high school education or less. For a variety of reasons, people in those groups are still experiencing a rising rate of diabetes.

“It’s not good news for everybody,” Shakira Suglia told the Los Angeles Times. Suglia is an epidemiologist at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

And that bad news really matters because diabetes is such a debilitating disease. People with diabetes are more likely than the general population to suffer heart attacks and strokes, to name only two maladies that crop up in the medical statistics. Beyond that there’s blindness and kidney failure to fear, and problems in feet and legs that, in the worst case, can lead to amputation.

The overall problem posed by diabetes in the U.S. remains enormous. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans have the disease. There is the human dimension of the suffering that diabetes brings to people, and there is also the financial cost associated with treating the disease. Our national health care bill is significantly impacted by the cost of diabetes, which was estimated at $245 billion in 2012.

But even if it’s fragmentary, let’s be thankful for at least a bit of good news in the fight against obesity and diabetes. Let’s keep up the good work and encourage one another to eat right and exercise. Everyone needs to get on board this wagon, and that includes me.

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.

Disability Connection — New Board Members

Renica Minott of Muskegon, Sandra Baker of North Muskegon and Andy Stone of Muskegon have been elected new members of the board of directors for Disability Connection/West Michigan. They join present board members John Wahlberg, President, of Muskegon; Mike Hamm, Vice President, of White Cloud; Tom Grein, Treasurer, of Whitehall and Joe Doyle, Secretary, of Muskegon. Susan Cloutier-Myers is the Executive Director.

Minott is a Counselor at Muskegon Community College in the Counseling and Advising Center.  She is pursuing her EdD in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University, and has a MA in Counselor Education from Western Michigan University and a BS in Sociology from Grand Valley State University.

Baker is is a retired Special Education Teacher and the Executive Director of Gracious Grounds, a faith based community offering housing to people with unique abilities. She has an MA in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University and a BA in Special Education from Michigan State University.

Stone has been the Deputy Director of Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana since 2010. He was an integral part in bringing Muskegon’s Michigan Works offices under one employer in one location to have a greater impact on the Muskegon area. He is excited to be a part of the revitalization of the community’s economy through partnerships with many organizations, such as Muskegon Community College, Thrive, Muskegon Opportunity, Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, and Baker College.

Disability Connection, with main offices at 27 E. Clay Ave., Muskegon, provides services to people with disabilities and their families with offices in Muskegon, Fremont and Hart.

Some of the programs offered by Disability Connection include information and referrals, transportation assistance, nursing home transition, peer support, accessibility consultation, disability sensitivity training, help for veterans, and peer support, among several others.

The organization’s mission is to advocate, educate, empower, and provide resources for persons with disabilities and to promote accessible communities, with the vision that accessibility will be an accepted civil right.

Contact the Muskegon office at (231) 722-0088, the Hart office at (231) 301-0014, and the Fremont office at (231) 538-0738, or visit the web site www.dcilmi.org.

Forensic Science Meets Nuclear Chemistry

By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

As a kid, I read the Sherlock Holmes stories and the mysteries of Agatha Christie. As an adult, I wrote four mysteries that focused on a Quaker heroine solving crimes she happened across in her religious community. (I published them using my grandmother’s name — Irene Allen — as a pseudonym.) And, as a geologist, I’ve read about real-life criminal investigations that involved samples of sand and soil.

But it wasn’t until I talked with Dr. Nathalie Wall of the chemistry department at Washington State University that I got my head around forensic science that relates to radioactive materials.

“The basic definition of forensics is that it gives you information about the past,” Wall said to me. “The best known type of forensics is the criminal kind.”

Nuclear forensics is the study of radioactive materials found on places like a suspect’s hand. The goal is to develop information about such things as the source of the nuclear material. One part of the research Wall does is to help develop techniques that can be used for prosecution of people linked to illegally transporting or trafficking in radioactive substances.

“A fingerprint belongs to just one person, so it has real importance as evidence,” Wall said. “But you can’t arrest someone just for having a trace amount of uranium on their hands. There is uranium in granite, so a person can pick up trace amounts of it just from handling rocks.”

That’s part of the reason why it can be much more complicated to make a legal case against a person for dealing in radioactive materials than it can be to prove other kinds of criminal cases.

“The cool thing about nuclear chemistry is that radioactive elements come in sets or suites,” Wall told me. “If you find a specific suite of elements of different proportions, you can potentially tell where the material came from and what it’s been used for. So this is the ‘fingerprint’ we look for.”

Wall’s work is in the chemistry of various radioactive elements. She collaborates with people who make sophisticated devices for testing trace samples of materials.

“Just as the TSA may swipe your hand to see if you’ve touched conventional explosives, our goal is to develop tests for trace amounts of radioactive isotopes,” Wall said. “Part of the challenge is to make the tests both accurate and fast.”

Wall got a start in the research world working on nuclear repositories and contaminated sites. Nuclear forensics has been a recent addition to her work.

“From a chemist’s point of view, it’s all the same story,” Wall said.

Wall’s work is part of a broader who-done-it effort that’s important to all of us. I’m glad she and others like her are at work on real-life investigatory techniques that can stop terrorists.

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.

 

My Hope to reach people with Gospel across the US, Canada and the UK

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has just released a trailer for Heaven, the next installment of evangelistic films available for use – free of charge – through the My Hope with Billy Graham ministry. You can watch the trailer forHeaven online at www.MyHopewithBillyGraham.org/programs.

Available on Nov. 7 in the United States and Canada, the full film features a never-before-seen message from Billy Graham, alongside compelling stories of hope and faith, much like The Cross and the other impactful programs previously produced.

To get involved, or to learn more about getting your church involved, visit www.myhopewithbillygraham.org.

Simultaneously, My Hope UK with Billy Graham is partnering with churches across the UK to help them reach out in love and bring a message of hope to their communities. This November, the My Hope program The Cross will debut in the UK, as it will be shown in churches and venues throughout the country. To learn more about My Hope UK, visitwww.myhopewithbillygraham.org.uk.

If you would like more information about these, or other, updates from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, please contact media@bgea.org. Complete press releases from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association are available at billygraham.org/press-releases.

 

Muskegon Area Transit System to Move to Temporary Transfer Terminal Monday, November 10

MUSKEGON, MI (November 4, 2014) – Muskegon Area Transit System will close the Herman Ivory Terminal at 351 Morris Avenue in Downtown Muskegon on Monday, November 10, 2014, and open a temporary terminal location in the former Masonic Lodge location at 396 W Clay Avenue. This relocation is in preparation for construction to begin on renovations to the transfer station at the current Herman Ivory Terminal Location.

“The Masonic Lodge building will make a great location for our passenger transfer activities for the next seven to eight months,” said Jim Koens, Transit Systems Manager for Muskegon Area Transit System. “This facility has a large indoor waiting area and has been used as a community gathering space for many years. Outside, there is plenty of space for buses to pull up and for passengers to transfer,” said Koens.

The temporary location will also house the local Greyhound ticketing functions during the renovations. The Morris Avenue closure will also affect parking around the current terminal, closing the gravel lot on Second Street on November 10 and eventually closing the lot at the corner of First Street and Morris. Permanent closure of that lot will be announced as construction progresses.

Construction documents were put out for bid earlier this month and a contractor has been selected, pending County Board approval. Construction on the new terminal is expected to be completed by summer of 2015. Follow the construction at www.matsbus.com and on the MATS Facebook page.

Muskegon Area Regional Connections (MARC)

MUSKEGON, MI – The Muskegon Area Transit System is pleased to announce that its new MARC initiative began Monday, November 3, 2014. The first MARC bus was scheduled to leave the downtown Muskegon Herman Ivory Terminal at 7:15 am and head north, traveling through North Muskegon, Lakewood Club, south Whitehall and end its first route cycle at Water and Church Street in Montague.

In addition to staff being available opening morning, MATS continues to schedule “How to Ride the Bus” seminars to further aid new riders. Riders are also encouraged to frequent www.matsbus.com for additional upcoming seminar times and locations.

MARC route and schedule information is available from several locations in these communities and also on www.matsbus.com. Keep up with route and MATS information by liking Muskegon Area Transit System on Facebook.

Visit the Muskegon Museum of Art in November

The fall calendar includes films, family days, its annual Appraisal Fair, the opening of a Japanese Toy Robot exhibition and Festival of Trees and holiday events. Go to www.muskegonartmuseum.org for details and listings of more events.

Thursday, November 6
Opening Event
Japanese Warriors: Robots from the Warren Schwartz Collection
5:30-7:00 pm Reception

Saturday, November 8, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
(Robot) Ornament Designer Super Saturday
Family Fun Day
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Guided Tours
Tour Japanese Warriors with an MMA docent.
10:00 am & 1:00 pm
Film
Castle in the Sky
(125 mins) Join us for this children’s anime film adventure, young miner Pazu and mysterious girl Sheeta team up to find the long-lost island of Laputa, which is rumored to have great riches and gems.
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Make & Take
Design robot ornaments using recycled items, including garland and more, to adorn our awesome Super Saturday FOT holiday tree!

Thursday, November 13, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
The Hidden Fortress
(139 mins.) Director Akira Kurosawa’s classic adventure depicts the travails of two scheming peasants drafted by a defeated general to escort an imperious princess and her clan’s royal treasure through enemy terrain.

Thursdays, November 13 and December 4, 11, 18
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Open Public Tours
Drop in for guided tours of Japanese Warriors. Reservations are not required.

 

For more details, find the Muskegon Museum of Art on Facebook and Twitter, and at www.muskegonartmuseum.org. The museum is located in Muskegon at 296 W. Webster Ave., next to Hackley Public Library.

Muskegon Writer Number One in Comics

Local writer publishes his new comic book, “Number One.”

gary-scott-beatty What is the real life value of comic books and the heroes in them? This question is explored in Number One, a full color, done-in-one-issue story looking at 50 years of comic book history through the life of one comic book retailer.

Written by local comic book creator, Gary Scott Beatty, and illustrated by Adventures of Aaron creator, Aaron Warner, Number One brings readers through decades of comic book history and provides a short Guide to Illustrated Stories. “I put comics in historical context, from Gilgamesh, to The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck, to Free Comic Book Day,” Beatty explains. “Number One is a complete package explaining, in an entertaining way, our hobby and our passion for it.”

“Steve, the comic shop owner character in Number One appealed to me as it will surely appeal to small business owners everywhere. He found a business he loved, built it on customer service and hung on through the lean years,” said Beatty. “I think we’re all more informed about how difficult it is to operate a local business these days, since the recession of 2008.”

Number One cover

“Comics helped Steve through some tough times growing up and he turned his love of the medium into a comic shop business. In Number One we see whether operating the business is worth the toll it takes on his family.”

“I set out to write a story that, in an personal way, can explain to those outside our community why we love comics,” Beatty said.

Published by Beatty’s Aazurn Publishing, pre-orders are in for Number One and interested readers will be able to find it at their local or online comic shop the first of September. “Aazurn Publishing is an indie publisher, so they’ll have to ask for it!”

Over the past 40 years, Gary Scott Beatty has built small press publications at local newspapers, ad agencies, and printing houses, including the publications On the Shore, and Muskegon Magazine.com. Beatty also produces Indie Comics Magazine, featuring work by a variety of talented writers and artists, both veterans of independent comics and newer creators. He regularly deals with creators from New York, Florida and California as he colors and letters for the comic book industry. For more information, visit: garyscottbeatty.com

Who Are We?

Eugene Meyers submitted this photo and was wondering if anyone could identify the baseball players or anything about the team. He thinks the person on the top left is Muse Meyers. If you can help call Eugene at 733-4314.

Who is this Baseball Team

Click to view larger image

Notes:
–May be from Cummings School area
–Shettler, across from school.

Designing new food products

By Dr. E. Kirsten Peters

Today’s snack food aisle in the grocery store contains a lot more products than when I was a kid. Back then, we mainly had potato chips and saltines, but not much more. Now there’s a multitude of choices designed to help you satisfy your cravings for something crunchy.

It’s fair to say most of us don’t spend a lot of our time cooking from scratch. “Processed foods” – everything from snacks to boxed dinners – make up a great deal of what most Americans eat. Indeed, the majority of what most of us eat is processed to one degree or another.

Some highly processed foods are not so healthy, especially the ones made with refined flours and ingredients. Some experts think there’s a link between specific groups of processed foods and the obesity epidemic. Surveys in the U.S. and Great Britain show that most people consume less than one serving per day of whole-grain cereals. That’s a shame because research has shown that three servings of whole grains a day are better for us.

In part because of the possible link between processed foods made with refined ingredients and the obesity epidemic, the question arises: Can we make convenient foods that are both tasty and good for us? To put it another way, how can we increase the whole-grain content of processed foods in a way that won’t sacrifice taste and texture?

Into this fray has walked a new variety of wheat, called “waxy wheat.” Waxy wheat was first bred around the turn of the 21st century.

Whole grain waxy wheat has unique processing properties. Basically, it forms a paste at a significantly lower temperature than does regular wheat, and it swells with more water than do standard varieties of wheat.

“Waxy wheat holds real potential for improving processed foods,” said Dr. Girish Ganjyal, a faculty member in the School of Food Science at Washington State University.

Ganjyal recently taught me several things about the food we eat. One is that snack foods contribute a whopping 25 percent of the calories most adult Americans take in. Obviously, that means snack foods are important to human health in the U.S.

In recent years there has been a serious effort by the food industry to increase the fiber and protein content of processed foods. Part of that effort revolves around a wide range of foods made with what’s termed “extrusion” processing.

Extrusion processing involves passing food ingredients through a barrel with an opening at the end known as a die. The food ingredients are cooked as they pass through the extruder and exit through the die that gives shape to the food. Extrusion processing is crucial to everything from elbow macaroni and tortilla chips to Cheetos and Fruit Loops, as well as things like snack bars and military field rations.

“Extrusion processing is one of the mainstays of the food industry,” said Ganjyal.

But as you incorporate more fiber and protein into the extruded food, you change its taste and texture. In general, U.S. consumers like “light” foods that crunch and then dissolve in the mouth. The good news is that waxy wheat, when processed through extruders, cooks at low energy inputs and produces light textured products.

Ganjyal is researching how using waxy wheat may make it possible to side-step the problem of whole-grain extruded foods being “darker” than many people like. In other words, he wants to keep the melt-in-your-mouth texture that consumers like, even while incorporating more nutrition into the extruded foods.

Recently Ganjyal applied for funding from the federal government to pursue more research in this area. He proposes working with a miller to grind the waxy wheat in very specific ways. The wheat flour will then be further processed and extruded. The taste of the resulting products will be evaluated by panels of testers, folks like you and me. The goal is to make more whole wheat foods that people will thoroughly enjoy even while they get whole-grain nutrition.

Remember Ganjyal the next time you choose some snack foods at the grocery store. There’s a lot of research work that goes into our daily vittles.

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.

Check out Muskegon!

(from Muskegon Market Report)

Dirt Moves on Housing Developments
Norton Shores has seen two recent housing developments come to fruition: Berryfield by Eastbrook Homes and Torrie Estates by Allen Edwin Homes.

Another downtown housing development in the works is the Heritage Square Town-homes on Clay Street. Two additional units are under construction and scheduled to be open and for sale by Spring 2015.

Restaurants on the Rise
Muskegon’s restauranteurs have been busy opening  four new establishments along the Lakeshore in recent weeks…

Hodgepodge Bakehouse in Norton Shores serves designer donuts, unique pizzas, sandwiches, soups and more. The Deck, located on the sands of Pere Marquette Beach with views of Lake Michigan is a casual BBQ themed restaurant and bar. The Boar’s Belly opened in the old MAC restaurant space which has outdoor seating and a boasts a bacon themed menu. Boat Yard BBQ is a full service Lakeside restaurant. This waterfront venue features southern style BBQ and a full bar.

With several other successful restaurant owners working on secondary locations and a newly approved food truck ordinance in the City of Muskegon, the community should expect even more “food news” in the coming months…

New Publications Sell Muskegon
Muskegon Publications Community organizations have created a variety of publications that sell the Muskegon Community to prospective visitors, residents, businesses and meeting planners.

The Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) created the Meet Muskegon Convention and Event Guide in addition to the annually published Visitors Guide.  http://visitmuskegon.org/

The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce created Muskegon’s Live, Work and Play Guide, which has information on housing, education, entrepreneurism, workforce development, manufacturing, attractions, events, dining, shopping and more. http://www.harborhouse.com/digital/muskegonco.htm

Downtown Muskegon Now published a new and updated Downtown Map providing information on downtown events, shopping, dining, attractions and more. http://www.downtownmuskegon.org/

Muskegon Area First is also working to sell Muskegon and grow the area’s Blue Economy businesses with the production of a digital recruiting publication.  http://www.harborhouse.com/digital/bluewatereconomy.htm

FREE Estate Planning Workshop

Workshop Details:

CLA Estate Services is hosting a FREE Estate Planning Workshop Wednesday, August 20th, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Russ’ Restaurant (1499 E. River Rd., Muskegon, MI 49445). The workshop will provide valuable information for seniors on securing one’s estate and retirement planning.  Guests will receive a workbook and information regarding: the pros and cons of wills and trusts; how to avoid probate; long term health care concerns; and tax reduction planning.  RSVP required. Please call 1-866-252-8721 to RSVP or for more information.

 

Save on Early-Bird Registration and Speakers Announced for Writers’ Conference on Oct. 17-18th in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, MI –The Quit Whining Start Writing 2014 Writers’ Conference will be held at Grand Valley State University’s L. William Seidman Center, downtown campus in Grand Rapids, on October 17-18th, 2014. The conference is geared toward authors (beginner to published), and will connect writers of all levels, editors, agents, marketing and PR professionals. A full day of workshops will take place on Saturday from 9am – 5pm, featuring experienced speakers on a variety of publishing and writing topics. An opening reception on Friday will be held from 6pm – 8pm featuring Keri Topouzian, author of The Perfect Armenian.

Registration is open and limited to the first 200 attendees. Early-bird registration features a $25 savings (and an entry to win a free Kindle) that will run through August 18th for $150. The fee includes the Friday evening reception and the Saturday conference and luncheon. Regular registration begins on Sept. 1st, with the fee at $175.

A keynote and more than 15 group sessions will be led by authors, editors, creative writing professionals, designers, publishers and marketing representatives. The conference speakers and sessions have been announced.

Sue Silverman, author of The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew; Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction; and, Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You, which won the Association of Writers and Writing Programs award in creative nonfiction.

Brian Jud is the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books (Without Worrying About Returns). This is the ultimate do-it-yourself guide to selling books to non-bookstore buyers in large quantities. He also wrote Beyond the Bookstore (a Publishers Weekly® book), a primer on non-bookstore marketing.

Marc J. Sheehan is the author of two poetry collections, Greatest Hits from New Issues Press and Vengeful Hymns from Ashland Poetry Press. His short story “Objet du Desir” won the Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Contest sponsored by the public radio program Selected Shorts.

Denise Hill is the editor-in-chief of NewPages.com, an online resource for writers and readers, and the Associate Professor of English at Delta College. She has expertise in publishing and professional writing, including grant writing, interviewing, review writing, freelance, and new media writing.

Mark Vorenkamp will speak on the changing publishing climate and how e-books and the printed page can coexist in the future. He is a writer, e-book developer, and President of Inklings Writers Guild. Over 50 e-book projects have been completed under his guidance.

Carol Finke teaches writing at a community college in northern Michigan and served as editor of the national literary journal Controlled Burn from 2007 through 2012. A Hopwood winner at the University of Michigan and a Hogrefe Fellow at Iowa State University, her short stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in True North Georgetown Review, and other journals in print and online.

Cari Noga wrote her first novel, Sparrow Migrations, as part of National Novel Writing Month in 2010. The tale of five characters connected by 2009’s “Miracle on the Hudson” plane crash, the book about those events was a semi-finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.

Peter Jeff is the author of Leadership Mints for Busy Leaders, 101 Ideas to Freshen Your Leadership Breadth. He is also the author of a personal leadership book on goal setting, Get a GRIP on Your Dream. For more please see his blog: www.leadershipmints.com

Patricia (Trish) Harris has organized several exhibitions focused on intersections between literature and visual art. She is a curator, writer, teacher, artist, and teaches writing at Delta College. She is currently the curator for the transmedia Remaking Moby-Dick Project and edits the literary journal Pea River Journal.

Laura R. Holmes is the co-owner of FineLine Creative, a lakeshore-based marketing and advertising boutique. In 2013, the firm celebrated its 10-year anniversary and was named a finalist in the Top Women Owned Businesses Award by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Laura is also a travel writer, blogger and she published her first book in 2012, a collection of travel stories called, I’ve Gotta Pack. For book and blog visit: www.contentqueens.net

Tricia L. McDonald is the CEO of Splattered Ink Press and has a hands-on approach to guiding others in the writing process. Her Life With Sally book series are compilations of stories chronicling life with her miniature bull terrier. Her latest book Quit Whining Start Writing: A Novelist’s Guide to Writing will help writers put away the excuses and get the writing done.

Kim Bode is the principal of 834 Design, an award-winning communication, strategy, event planning, social media and media relations firm in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a speaker, Kim has presented on social media strategy, engagement, measurement and policy for organizations like Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs and the Michigan Association of CPA’s.

Melanie Hooyenga is the young adult author of Flicker Fracture, her second book in the series has been published and is getting rave reviews  She began writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to .that age group. She calls Michigan home now and balances writing with a graphic design day job.

Keri Topouzian is author of The Perfect Armenian. He will be discussing his book with Val Lego at the Friday evening reception. He is a physician who practices in Grand Rapids and Detroit and published his novel in 2010. His historic fiction account is based on his grandparents flight from genocide, who hailed from Armenia, immigrating to the US in the early 1900’s.

The conference goal is to help budding and experienced authors tell their stories, find their voice and learn how to publish and market their books and projects. For more information, visit the website at http://www.splatteredinkpress.com/writers-conference-2014/

Registration is available online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-quit-whining-start-writing-2014-writers-conference-tickets-11182574381?ref=ebtnebregn