Have a dog or few? If so, you may be dreading the impending fireworks. By now, you’ve probably already gotten a taste of how your pet reacts to loud noises — neighborhood kids like to set off fireworks a few days early.
Fireworks displays are an inevitability, but there are some things you can do to help keep your pup calm. Here are some tips for surviving the loud booms.
Exercise your dog earlier in the day to release pent-up energy.
Keep your canine indoors during fireworks and keep him company, if possible. Run the air conditioner to keep him cool.
Don’t take your dog with you to a fireworks display. (That’s just nuts.)
Make sure your dog has a safe place inside to retreat to. Dogs often feel safer in small, enclosed places if they’re scared of loud sounds. Consider crating your pup, if he’s comfortable there. Covering the crate will help.
Keep windows and curtains closed, if possible. Removing visual stimulation can really help.
Ensure that your dog wears ID tags with a collar that fits properly. That way, if he somehow escapes, there is a better chance that he’ll be returned to you.
Leave Fido a frozen Kong toy filled with his favorite morsels. It’s a good distraction.
You can help create the change you want to see by holding your local and state officials accountable — but to do that, you must first be registered to vote; then, you must actually vote. The deadline for registering to vote in Michigan’s Aug. 7th primary election is Monday,July 9th.
Not sure you’re registered? There’s an easy way to find out. According to Robert J. Macomber, Chief Deputy County Clerk, residents can visit www.Michigan.gov/vote to check their registration, find the address of their local clerk or obtain the mail-in voter registration application. It will also tell you your polling location.
Fun fact: Women suffragettes were jailed and force fed for 3 weeks for the right to vote.
“First-time voters who register by mail must vote in person in their first election, unless they hand-deliver the application to their local clerk, are 60 years old or older, are disabled or are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act,” says Macomber.
Click on Kent County’s Elections page https://www.accesskent.com/Departments/Elections/ to learn more about the August Primary here in Kent County, view your sample ballot, or find your polling location.
Stay informed… and be involved. Don’t miss your chance to have a say in how your state government represents you.
Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum) fungi in a sugar maple. (Photo by MSU Extension)
ByMike Schira, Michigan State University Extension
Usually, when we see or hear news items regarding tree and forest fungus, it is being presented as bad or something that is killing trees. Sadly in many instances it’s true that newly introduced fungal pathogens, like Dutch elm disease and oak wilt for example, are a major issue resulting in the death of healthy trees.
The majority of fungi we find in the forest are beneficial to the overall health of the stands they are living with. It is inevitable that trees are going to get old, slowdown in growth and eventually die. These life cycle processes can be rather short in some species; for example aspen, jack pine and white birch or quite long stretching to over hundreds or even thousands of years in the longest growing species like northern white cedar in the Lake States region or sequoia and bristle cone pine in the west.
Regardless of how or when a tree dies, the process of decomposition begins. Tree cell walls contain lignin, a compound that strengthens the cells assisting trees to grow tall. Lignin is tough and fungi are thought to be the only major organism that can break it down. This is important to the remaining trees as well as for the newly established seedlings that depend on the nutrients in the dead and dying trees to allow them to grow and remain healthy. Without the decaying action of fungi, wood would not break down to supply the nutrients for the remaining stand in a timeframe that will sustain growth.
The process of plant growth, decline and decay followed by reabsorption of the released compounds is generally referred to as nutrient cycling. Although there are other organisms that aid in the breakdown of plant matter for this process, it is fungi that preforms the important first step by breaking down the lignin. These processes may be at work above ground in the tree stems and branches, or below ground in the roots and stumps. There are many different species and kinds of fungi that are at work in forest stands and vary depending on tree species, soil type and moisture conditions.
How can mutations in one supposedly single-function protein result in four unique diseases with symptoms ranging from strangely textured hair to early death?
That’s the question that biochemistry professor Rachael Baker and biology professor Amy Wilstermann are seeking to answer through three linked research projects this summer. Working with three student researchers to conduct experiments on the mitochondria of yeast and zebrafish, the professors are examining the effects of mutations in the protein’s gene to determine its other roles within the cell.
By discovering how each mutation results in each disease, Baker says they hope to more fully understand the mitochondrial system, leading to both “better treatments for people affected by rare diseases and a better understanding about health and wellness in general that could lead to treatments for things like cancer and other disorders.”
Beyond the lab
Baker and Wilstermann, however, view these direct applications as only one step in the larger process of improving the lives of those with rare diseases.
“There’s just a lot of uncertainty [around rare disease]; even when you get a diagnosis, you might not know what the prognosis is,” said Wilstermann. She and Baker aim to help remedy this through two key routes: improving the readability of scholarly work on rare disease and providing a website to collect information for patients and their families.
During the summer, Wilstermann says, the students will work toward both goals by reviewing the literature around a specific rare disease and writing a condensed summary for the website, giving them practice in “taking really complicated ideas and mak[ing] them accessible but still completely accurate.” Wilstermann says that the students will most likely start by covering the diseases which were represented at the rare disease symposium (in March 2018) and are present in the local community.
The website is broadly intended to function as a network for members of the rare disease community, including patients, families, clinicians, and researchers. “We want it to be a place where we can connect people with resources; we want it to be a place where people can connect with one another,” Wilstermann said. “There’s opportunity to bring people together and help build a supportive community around common experiences, and the common experience of being rare.”
A faith-driven approach
“This project, for me, encapsulates why I came to be a professor at Calvin college,” said Baker. “The way we do science looks different here,” she added. “We eat together each week, we value each other, and we [work] in a body of Christ model where different people have different strengths and interests [which we] bring together to be a functioning whole. We’ve employed various practices that are really rooted in Christian principles, and we’ve used those to shape how we run our research team.
“To me,” Baker said, “it’s really exciting that I get to do that and think about it explicitly.”
By Maram Hekhuis, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist at Heart of the City Counseling Center
You probably opened this blog for a reason: you are tired of feeling sad, angry, anxious, hurt, hopeless and helpless, and you want to feel happy in your life. You are probably asking yourself “why me?” “why does everyone have it all, but not me?” “why can’t I be happy?”
You may feel victimized by questions that don’t seem to have the answers. As a result, you may feel your life is narrowing in around you, you may feel darkness surrounding you, and you may want to just find a way out. Happiness is not something you inherit or just find. Happiness is something that you need to build up. Building happiness is a process that requires time, patience, effort, hope, and commitment.
If you fail once in building happiness, don’t give up but rather try it again and again. Remember that life is not easy. There is the good, and there is the bad. Just believe that there are better days ahead of you.
So, what is happiness then? According to this article, research suggests that happiness is related to life satisfaction, appreciation of life, moments of pleasure, and the experience of positive emotions. But, how could we experience these factors to build our happiness? The answer is: what we think (thoughts/cognitions) and what we do (behaviors) influence our feelings.
Now that you have learned that our thoughts and behaviors affect how we feel, let’s learn how to make changes in our thoughts and behaviors to build our happiness.
Changes in Cognition:
Positive affirmations: Positive affirmations encourage us to believe in ourselves. These types of statements empower us and motivates us to self-change. You need to begin your statements with “I” or “I am”. For example, “I can do it”. You could write down a list of positive affirmation statements in your diary, on a piece of paper, or on your smart phone apps. Read or/and repeat them daily to yourself.
Be aware of your self-defeating thoughts. “If I’m not successful, then I’m a failure”. Stop and challenge them. What are the evidences that support and don’t support your thoughts? Remember thoughts are just ideas, they are not facts or necessary true. Sometimes our thoughts happen so quickly that we fail to notice them, but they can still affect our mood. These are called automatic thoughts. Remember positive thoughts lead us to feel good and negative thoughts can put us down.
Be aware of and challenge your perspectives about yourself, people and the world. We all give different meanings to situations and see things from our point of view. Therefore, broaden your perspective and see the bigger picture. Ask yourself: “is there another way of looking at this?”
Acceptance. Be comfortable with who you are. “it is as it is”. We tend to fight against distressing thoughts and feelings as if our mind is in a war zone. Learn to just notice them and don’t fight the war. Some situations we just cannot change. We can surf the waves rather try to stop them.
Be appreciative and mindful. Notice what you have rather than what you don’t have. Live in the present rather the past or future.
Behavioral Changes:
Do things for others. This will help you connect with others. Helping and giving to others make us feel valued, appreciated, needed, and happier. We could give our time, attention, and ideas, not necessary money and gifts. You may want to volunteer somewhere.
Connecting with others. Strong social relationships lead to happier and healthier life, give us meaning, and sense of belonging, improve our self-esteem, and make us feel loved, and valued.
Do what you enjoy doing. You could engage in exercise if you enjoy it as being active makes us happier and healthier as our body and mind are connected.
Learn new things or skills. Increase your interest and confidence as this will give you a sense of achievement and success. Find a job, meet new people, try out something new.
Have goals to look forward to and never stop dreaming and believing in yourself and abilities. Feeling good about the future is important for our happiness. Goals motivate us to move forward in life. Make your goals achievable.
While the end of the school year may provide a respite for some young people who are the targets of these bullying behaviors, others continue to be targeted year-round through electronic forms of bullying. According to the CDC report, 16 percent of students indicated they had been electronically bullied during the 12 months before the survey through venues including e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites or texting. Cyberbullying also is an issue in online, cooperative game platforms, according to a Pew Research Center study. 16 percent of respondents stated that they have experienced being bullied in such games.
While the CDC report focuses on young people in grades nine to 12, electronic bullying, also referred to as cyberbullying, is an issue that affects a significant number of younger kids as well. Results of a 2016 study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center showed that nearly 17 percent of students ages 12 to 17 said they had been targets of cyberbullying. Conversely, 26 percent of those students admitted to participating in cyberbullying behaviors, including posting mean or hurtful comments, spreading rumors, posting inappropriate comments with sexual meaning, threatening harm, posting hurtful pictures or videos or impersonating someone else online.
As kids have increased access to mobile technology at younger ages (73 percent of teens have or have access to a smartphone), there are also more opportunities for kids to stay connected in positive and negative ways after the school year ends.
While many schools have incorporated programs designed to prevent bullying behaviors, it is important for parents and other adults to keep these conversations going with kids throughout the summer months. These discussions are enhanced when adults have a good understanding of what cyberbullying is and how children are using technology, followed up with discussions with young people about responsible use of technology and guidelines for positive online behaviors. See the article, “Cyberbullying: What it is and how parents can respond,” to learn more.
It is also helpful for adults and young people to recognize that, while online bullying and other forms of electronic aggression might be common, a lot can be learned from those young people who report using their voices to interrupt these negative behaviors. See the article, “Kids, kindness and cruelty – and lots of time online,” to learn more.
Experts also stress the importance of providing young people with a menu of strategies they can use for responding to cyberbullying situations. When adults share these strategies with kids, as well as help them use their voices to practice what these strategies might sound like in various scenarios, kids will be better prepared for real-life situations in whatever season or setting in which they occur.
If you are looking for more information or community support on improving your social-emotional health and well-being, Michigan State University Extension offers numerous programs that can assist in this process.
By Terry Gibb, Michigan State University Extension
Two major energy producers in Michigan would accelerate plans to increase their renewable portfolios. This action was in exchange for the dropping of a ballot initiative to increase the state’s renewable energy increase mandate. The 2018 ballot initiative, if adopted by voters in November, would incrementally increase state standards from 18 percent by 2022 to 30 percent by 2030. The current 2016 state law outlines a goal of 15 percent renewable energy generation by 2021.
DTE and Consumers Energy have agreed to work toward a 50 percent clean energy goal by 2030. This will be accomplished through a combination of 25 percent renewable energy and 25 percent in energy efficiency.
This agreement will be included to each company’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) that must be filed with the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) which oversees these companies. An IRP is a long-term plan outlining a utility’s resource needs to meet future energy demand. Currently, 33 states require utilities to file IRPs with their state PSC.
Renewable energy generated from natural processes, such as wind, sunlight and water, will be used to obtain the 25 percent in the agreement. These sources will never be depleted unlike coal, oil or gas which are finite resources. Besides being unlimited, renewable energy sources also are clean sources because they don’t release carbon pollution in the atmosphere when burned to create energy. The primary alternative energy sources typically considered are:
Solar energy, available for many years, uses solar panels to change the sun’s energy into electricity or heat that can be used for energy.
Wind energy, formed by the earth’s rotation, captures air currents and turns it into electricity through wind turbines.
Geothermal energy, while not as common as solar or wind, has significant potential as an energy source. Geothermal (“Geo” means earth and “thermal” means heat) heat energy is generated from the Earth’s constant underground temperature using water reservoirs.
Hydropower is created either by moving water (water current in a river) or water’s change in elevation or fall from one level to another (waterfalls).
While this agreement will decrease pollution in our air and water, there are tradeoffs. It takes significantly more of a renewable energy to generate the same amount of power compared to the non-renewable sources of gas, oil or coal. There are still some environmental impacts from renewable energy and, in some cases, the lifespan of the renewable system can be shorter so requires replacement sooner than convention energy generation sources. Some areas have issued moratoriums on additional renewable sources, such as wind, due to issues of sound, flickering, land use and viewscapes.
Raising the mowing height makes a more dense turf that out-competes weeds. Photo by Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension
ByDave Smitley, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Entomology
Michigan has a tradition of mowing lawns short. Perhaps it is because many people want their lawn to look like a golf course fairway. Unfortunately, this is not practical for the average homeowner because golf course fairways are mowed three times per week with a frequently-sharpened reel mower, and irrigated daily during the summer. Trying to mow your lawn at a height less than 3 inches is actually stressful to your lawn and may result in the need to apply more insecticide and herbicide.
What height do you mow at?
It’s easy to determine the true cutting height of your mower. Pull your mower onto your driveway or sidewalk and measure the distance from the cement surface to the bottom of the blade-protection covering that goes all the way around the path of the blades. Most lawn mowers have an adjustment that allows the mowing height to be set between 2 and 4 inches.
What mowing height is best for my lawn?
The highest setting on your mower! The top setting for most mowers gives a cutting height between 3.25 and 4 inches. This is best for your lawn, but at a setting of 4 inches you may sometimes see some “laying-over” of turf blades that some people find undesirable. For this reason, some people prefer to mow at 3 or 3.5 inches. For the healthiest and most sustainable approach, Michigan State University Extension says 3.5 to 4 inches is most desirable.
Why is mowing high good for my lawn?
Mowing high provides five valuable services:
It makes scalping (turf damage from mowing too short) much less likely to happen.
It allows you to clip about 30 percent of the leaf blade each time you mow (the optimum proportion).
It promotes establishment of a larger root system, which is more drought tolerant.
It provides broadleaf weed and crabgrass control by shading the soil surface.
It establishes a grub-tolerant lawn because of the larger root mass.
Lawns mowed at 3.5 or 4 inches out-compete weeds, tolerate grubs and look just as good as lawns mowed at 2.5 inches.
The weed and grub control provided by mowing high means you can use less pesticide on your lawn. In fact, if you combine mowing high with modest applications of fertilizer (1 to 4 lbs N per year, depending on how green you want your lawn), and watering during dry periods, you may not need to use any pesticides – herbicide for weeds or insecticide for grubs – on your lawn. If you have not been mowing high and watering during dry periods, you may need to do this for at least one year to establish a healthy lawn before you stop using pesticides.
For more information on a wide variety of smart gardening articles, or to find out about smart gardening classes and events, visit www.migarden.msu.edu.
MSU Bee Palooza is held annually In celebration of National Pollinator Week in the lovely MSU Horticulture Gardens.
This free, fun and education event is organized by volunteers to provide an afternoon of interactive activities centered on understanding the wonderful world of pollinators. Stations are set up around the gardens and can be visited in any order. On display are active honeybee and bumblebee colonies, examples of wild Michigan bees and wild bee hotels, plants and gardening practices to support pollinators, as well as demonstrations about how important bees are to food production. Guided wild bee tours and other hands-on activities are offered throughout the afternoon event.
Why hold a Bee Palooza?
Worldwide reports and concerns about pollinator declines have increased awareness and interest in pollinators and what humans can do to help. In 2012, the United States established a National Pollinator Week, which inspired members of the MSU Department of Entomology to host the first Bee Palooza in the MSU Horticulture Gardens.
What are pollinators and why are they important?
Pollinators — especially bees — play an important role in the production of many seeds, nuts and fruits. Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains to fertilizer the seed-producing ovaries of flowers. Many trees, shrubs and wildflowers also depend on bees and other animals for pollination.
When: Sunday, June 24, 2018
Time: 1-4pm
Where: Michigan State University, 336 Village Dr, East Lansing, MI 48823, United States
Michigan is a leader in honey production and in many pollination-dependent fruit and vegetable crops. MSU Extension provides the latest information on pollinators and pollination including fact sheets from the Smart Gardening Program, webinars, educational seminars, email newsletters, and other online resources. Visit the Michigan Pollinator Initiative website for more information and resources for beekeepers, growers, and home gardeners.
Don’t forget that Father’s Day is Sunday, June 17th. Many West Michigan businesses are hosting special events, discounts, or offers for the dad in all of our lives. No matter his interest, you’ll find something for him here.
If you know the work of Japanese artist Masayuki Koorida exclusively from the polished, yet unfinished, stones of “Existence”, located in the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park’s Japanese Garden, you are in for a surprise.
The 7th annual Allendale Community Field Day — on Saturday, June 16th — will offer members of the West Michigan community the chance to learn about the natural history of the region.
ByPaige Filice, and Tara Eavy, Michigan State University Extension
Some of the most memorable moments in the classroom are the ones shared with the class hamster, fish, gecko or other animal. Pets enrich classroom learning by teaching responsibility and sensitivity towards living things. A student exposed to animals in the classroom may have higher self-esteem, nurturing skills, social skills and interest in attending class. Integrating animals into the curriculum also encourages a greater appreciation for the complexity of life. Use of live animals helps students develop observation and comparison skills as they study the shared and unique traits of specific organisms.
Classroom pets enable educators to teach responsibility towards not only living creatures, but also their habitats and Michigan’s ecosystems. To demonstrate that responsible behavior, teachers should take steps to prevent the release of classroom fish, plants or other animals into the wild. As the National Science Teachers Association recommends, teachers should “refrain from releasing animals into a non-indigenous environment.” Many non-native plants and animals are used in the classroom, and some can become invasive in the wild. Once introduced, they can disrupt the food chain and out-compete native species for food and habitat. Even those that are ill-equipped to survive our Michigan winters can cause harm while alive, and can introduce disease to our native flora and fauna.
Some of Michigan’s notorious invaders, such as rusty and red swamp crayfish, have been kept as learning aids in classrooms. Crayfish are fun to watch and are easy to feed and care for, making them ideal additions to an aquarium. They play an important role in aquatic food chains as scavengers, cleaning up dead plants and animals for their food. However, both red swamp and rusty crayfish are now illegal to possess in Michigan and unfortunately are difficult to identify when young and can be accidentally sold by biological supply companies and pet stores by mistake to teachers. These crayfish compete aggressively with native species for food and habitat and can even reduce shoreline habitat and decrease water quality due to their aggressive burrowing. Both species have been found in the wild in Michigan and were likely introduced from an aquarium that was released into a river or stream.
Therefore, as we come to the end of the school year, it is important to be aware of alternatives to releasing classroom animals and plants into the wild. Even native species of crayfish, fish and birds that are caught in the wild and brought into the classroom for learning, should never be re-released into the wild because of their potential as vectors for disease. Investigate loaning or giving them to dedicated hobbyists, environmental learning centers, aquariums or zoos. Unwanted fish, plants and animals can often be returned to local, independent retailers, but be sure to inquire before arriving with a bucket full of fish! If unable to find a home for your classroom pets, contact a veterinarian or pet retailer for guidance on humane disposal.
Michigan’s invasive species education initiative, RIPPLE (Reduce Invasive Pet and Plant Escapes) was developed by Michigan State University Extension and adopted by the Michigan Departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality and Agriculture and Rural Development. Through RIPPLE, educators can request free materials on invasive species that can be used in the classroom. More information about invasive species, regulations and prevention can be found on the State of Michigan invasive species website.
D’Angelo Green will graduate from Muskegon Heights High School Academy with a very bright future. But the outlook hasn’t always been so positive.
A bleak future
At the start of his senior year, D’Angelo lacked the essentials needed for graduation and success beyond high school: credits, motivation, maturity and basic employability skills. He was ready to drop the very program that would help him turn his life around—Jobs for Michigan Graduates (JMG).
Jobs for Michigan Graduates
The JMG program helps youth at risk of dropping out of high school get the skills they need to graduate, find a job and contribute to their communities. The program, which includes classroom instruction, adult mentoring and leadership development, has helped 98% of its participants graduate and 91% move on to employment, continuing education or both.
A fresh perspective
Fortunately, D’Angelo didn’t drop the program and after further engagement and several class assignments, his perspective changed. D’Angelo began to see opportunities for a brighter future. After his product presentation for the “Shark Tank” program activity—a virtual reality headset—one of the “Sharks” offered him a job and the mayor of Muskegon Heights offered free space to run his business!
D’Angelo is happy he decided to stay with the JMG program; he has made considerable improvements in areas where he once struggled and he is focused on his plans for the future. He recently accepted a position at AB Electrical Wires in Muskegon Heights and plans to attend Muskegon Community College to study engineering.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that have opened up as a result of the JMG program,” D’Angelo said.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
While society has taken great strides toward acceptance of LGBT citizens, what remains invisible are the issues and challenges that LGBT adults face as they begin to age. Too often, LGBT seniors have felt the need to go back ‘into the closet’ in order to receive services or deny themselves much need care in order to avoid having to do so. The LGBT Initiative, funded by the Michigan Health Endowment grant, is seeking to change that for LGBT seniors throughout the state of Michigan, by creating safe channels for LGBT older adults to seek services.
West Michigan is one of the three regions where this effort is taking place. Kendrick Heinlein, AAAWM Contract Administrator, is heading up this project for Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan.
“Right now, the LGBT initiative is looking at different outreach strategies to reach members of the LGBT community” Heinlein states. Working with the other two regions: the Upper Peninsula and the Bay City/Saginaw region of the state, committee members recognize what works for Grand Rapids doesn’t necessarily work for the U.P., so finding the best methods for each region is the current focus.
Heinlein says, “We want to provide resources and reduce isolation for LGBT seniors and we’re working on the best strategies to go about that.”
There are currently about 1.5 million people age 65+ who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. There are also many aging LGBT people who live alone, without family to help with the aging process. This puts many LGBT seniors in the position of requiring income-based aging services available in their communities. Needing to ask for help though is often a difficult experience for these seniors.
Older adults who are LGBT don’t often find a warm welcome when they begin to participate in aging services. Sometimes this is due to the discrimination they encounter when seeking services; most times though, it is not hostility but cultural assumptions that can cause LGBT seniors to be reluctant to ask for help. An intake form might ask questions about marriage and children, but not about same-sex partnerships. A senior might be asked about their racial identification or religion, but not gender or sexual orientation.
Many older LGBT seniors carry with them memories of a time when they lost jobs, homes and family for being gay and could be jailed or committed to an asylum for being different. Because many seniors don’t want to “go back into the closet” but fear discrimination, they will avoid asking for help, which can result in a health crisis. This is what the LGBT initiative is working to alleviate. Through outreach to community service providers, AAAWM in partnership with the Grand Rapids Pride Center is in the process of creating a resource guide of senior service providers in West Michigan who are LGBT-friendly.
Anyone can call themselves LGBT-friendly, but what this means in terms of the LGBT initiative is that each provider in the LGBT Senior Resource Guide will be vetted to insure they will provide equal services to LGBT older adults that they would to any other seniors,
“A majority of providers are open to serving LGBT clients,” Heinlein highlights. “A lot of providers have been serving the LGBT community and consider being part of the guide recognition for services they have been providing all along.” By creating this resource guide, the committee hopes to provide safe avenues for LGBT older adults to find the services they need to age gracefully like their peers.
The debut of the LGBT Senior Resource Guide will occur at the Grand Rapids Pride Festival on June 16, 2018, beginning at 12 pm. AAAWM will have the guides available at their vendor table and they encourage people to stop by and take a look.
If you’d like to learn more about this project, contact Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan at (888) 456-5664 or email aaainfo@aaawm.org. To learn about their services, you can visit their website: http://www.aaawm.org.
Fifteen inmates in the inaugural Calvin Prison Initiative class earned their associate’s degrees at Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)
A gymnasium filled with moms and dads, sisters and brothers, administrators and teachers. Men seated in a couple of rows, dressed in black caps and gowns. Their smiles only contained by their ears. The room filled with jubilation, and hope.
It’s a familiar scene this time of year. But, not here. At least, not yet.
Peer out a small rectangular window and you quickly realize why. Twenty yards from the podium stands a 20-foot tall fence, wrapped in barbed wire.
Open doors
“We’ve embarked on a lot of firsts these past few years, we know it, those who work here know it, you guys certainly know it,” said Heidi Washington, the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections.
This first? A commencement ceremony inside Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan. And it’s part of another first – the Calvin Prison Initiative—a program that offers 20 inmates each year an opportunity to begin pursuing a bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership. It’s the type of program not happening anywhere else in the state, and in few places across the country. On Monday, 15 students from the first cohort earned their associate’s degrees.
“This first group behind me, literally took the stonings and they made the sacrifices to get this program up and running,” said DeWayne Burton, warden at Handlon Correctional Facility, during Monday’s Commencement ceremony. “Remember, when we started this program there was no manual to refer to. Basically you [graduates] helped us develop a blueprint for how to run a college program inside a prison.”
A blueprint, and a vision
That blueprint was developed through collaboration among Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary faculty and staff, students at Handlon, and leaders in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
That blueprint has unleashed a powerful vision, replacing despair with hope … radical hope.
“We humans are sustained by hope. It is the link between our past and our future, and when there is no future, there is no hope,” said Cheryl Brandsen, provost of Calvin College during the 2018 Commencement Address at Handlon.
“The book of Jeremiah tells the story about a despairing people who had lost hope,” said Brandsen. “Jeremiah wrote them a hard letter: Look, you are going to be here for a long time. 70 years, in fact. Don’t listen to false prophets who are trying to make you feel good by promising a speedy release. It’s not going to happen. So, what should you do? Settle down. Build houses. Plant gardens. Make a life. You will die in captivity but your children will not. Yes, you will weep when you remember your former lives, but don’t weep as those who have no hope. In fact, pray for this strange country, and seek the welfare of this city. I do have a plan for your future that will give you hope. But the plan is not one of going home right now. It is to stay put and prosper. If you know the rest of the story, the exiles did that, they formed new lives in strange places, grasping onto the radical hope that God had in mind: a future for their nation and their children.”
Promoting the welfare of the city
Brandsen then shared a poignant line from Calvin’s new vision statement, approved by the board of trustees earlier this month, which intentionally echoes the Jeremiah passage: “Calvin University will be animated by a Reformed Christian faith that seeks understanding and promotes the welfare of the city and the healing of the world.”
The inmates in the Calvin Prison Initiative program—many of whom are serving life sentences—have now found purpose through a Christ-centered education; they’ve found hope as the antidote to despair.
“I was arrested eight months after graduating from high school,” said Michael Duthler, who provided the student reflection at the ceremony. “I had an idea of what education was but I didn’t connect it to vocation, this idea of being a prime citizen. The two ideas were as far apart as heaven was from earth, but now are very much a part of how I understand my role on earth on my way to heaven. “
And when students like Duthler understand that God’s Kingdom is not confined by anything, that all square inches of creation are in play, it opens doors that aren’t limited by physical space.
“What began for me with an acceptance letter to CPI has formed me into the man who I am today and is inextricably bound with how I see myself in the future, someone who desires to break in God’s Kingdom, be that agent of renewal, to restore shalom, by sharing my education with others, by living out my vocation in a way that glorifies and magnifies God and allows his presence to be known in whatever sphere I touch,” said Duthler.
Living as prime citizens
Living as prime citizens takes courage, and as Duthler says, it is understood and developed within community. He cites examples of professors volunteering to teach two classes (instead of the required one) to allow for more interaction with students, or one professor driving up to Handlon on Christmas Eve to deliver semester grades; he recalls tutors patiently pouring over papers and providing correction or simply words of encouragement; and fellow peers who organize study groups and make themselves available to answer questions and have deep conversations.
“Since you guys have taken the lead, others have followed and guess what, others will continue to follow,” said Burton. “You graduates have also displayed the ethics that support the values that Calvin College has. People look at what you do and not what you say. Values are words, ethics are actions. As you continue to demonstrate values through your actions, the ethical culture at this facility will continue to change. One of the other things you gentleman are displaying is a solid reputation for Calvin College and the Michigan Department of Corrections … If you guys continue with this not only will this program be the best in the country, you guys will be successful and will be the best versions that you can be of yourselves.”
Reimagining what’s possible
While the program was started inside one correctional facility, with one group of men, the vision for its impact goes well beyond the fences of Handlon.
“I was listening to the provost and that wonderful speech,” said Washington. “She talked about how Calvin changed its vision statement and talks about the welfare of the city … and I thought how as the director of the department of corrections I should be concerned about the welfare of the department, the welfare of that city, the big department of corrections. And I’m here to tell you that this department of corrections and this administration is very concerned about that. So, whether it’s the Calvin initiative or the vocational village or the second vocational village or the third one or the many of the other things that we are doing to help people be successful, to help give people hope that there is a future for themselves when they leave here and even if they aren’t leaving here to help make this city a better place, we are committed to doing that, and we are committed to doing that with our partners.”
As the 15 graduates move their tassles from right to left, hear their names read from the podium, shake hands and receive their diplomas, those barbed-wire fences sitting 20 yards to their left are no longer barriers to hope.
“When I think of radical hope I think of you students, perhaps thinking at one time that your current status limited what you hoped for, until now, when the unimaginable is proving itself imaginable,” said Brandsen.
“When I think of radical hope, I think of Warden Burton and other administrators here who had the courage to imagine a different kind of future. ‘Unimaginable, until it isn’t.’”
Calvin College placed second at the 7th Annual Disaster Shelter Design Competition, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse International, April 19-21, and hosted on John Brown University’s (JBU) Siloam Springs campus. Nine teams from eight universities designed and constructed a rapidly-deployable emergency and disaster shelter, which a panel of judges with expertise in emergency management, engineering, logistics, and manufacturing, evaluated for possible implementation in relief efforts worldwide.
“It was a lot of fun. We got to test our prototype against other schools and other designs, simulate a lot of scenarios, and ultimately we got to see how well our process and ideas came to light in physical form,” said Kyle Sutton, a senior civil-environmental engineering major at Calvin.
Sutton, along with fellow senior civil-environmental engineering majors, Kyra Black, Cameron Carley, and Nate Veldboom, made the 13-hour drive south for the competition. The group, known as Team Dwell, brought with them their handiwork–a project they’ve been working on for their senior design project this year.
The competition scenario they participated in was based on the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 that affected more than a million people in Nepal. The shelters were required to address the local climate in Nepal, as well as their mountainous terrain, by retaining heat and transporting easily as well as by being water resistant, cost effective and culturally appropriate. The shelters were also required to be able to house a family of four.
“This competition gives Samaritan’s Purse access to some of the region’s most innovative engineers, construction management and architects, as students provide practical solutions to real-world problems,” said Mark Terrill, associate professor of construction management at John Brown University, and competition coordinator. “Not only does the competition combine classroom learning and real-world application, but it’s also really fun to watch.”
Team Dwell (Courtesy Calvin College)
Each team’s disaster shelter prototypes endured durability testing – including earthquake sustainability, heat retention, overnight habitability, wind turbulence, and water resistance. In addition, teams competed in an emergency shelter construction test, where they were evaluated on their ability to quickly design and construct emergency shelters from given materials.
Teams were scored based on their shelter’s performance in individual events and on their presentations detailing their shelter’s schematics, design, and materials. In addition to Team Dwell’s second place overall finish, they also took top honors in the Best Camp Plan, Best Report/Presentation, and Lightest Shelter categories.
A team from LeTourneau University took first place overall and John Brown University took third place. Other universities who participated this year include: Dordt College, Pittsburg State University, Gyeongsang National University, Murray State University, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
During the Commencement ceremony, President Michael Le Roy recognized the students who received their associate’s degrees. (Courtesy: Arrae Photography)
On Monday, May 21, 2018, 15 inmates from Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility (1728 Bluewater Hwy) in Ionia, Michigan, received an associate’s degree from Calvin College. The students are the first in the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) program to earn a degree behind bars.
The program, launched in 2015, provides up to 20 inmates each year with an opportunity to begin pursuing a bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership. The partnership between Calvin College, Calvin Theological Seminary, and the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) provides inmates with their only bachelor’s-degree option behind bars in the state. The program, funded entirely by private donations and grants, seeks to improve prison culture and curb recidivism rates by equipping prisoners with an education.
Collaborating for success
“When I did my masters, I did thesis work on how education reduces recidivism. That’s what made me actually pursue trying to get Calvin to be here at the Handlon facility,” said DeWayne Burton, warden of the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility.
“Those partnerships are absolutely essential, critical to our success as a department and to our ability to help create successful people,” said Heidi Washington, director of MDOC.
While the practical examples of success are significant, leaders of the program see the impact being far greater, and in missional alignment with both the college and seminary.
Restoring hope, human dignity
“It fits with the mission. Like every square inch, a prison is certainly a space where God’s light needs to shine,” said Chris DeGroot, co-director of CPI. “We take with us the understanding that everyone is created in the image of God, he wants all people to flourish, and wants justice to happen. So making education possible for the least of these absolutely fits with our Christian calling.”
“This is what we believe Christ calls us to do. It’s a living illustration of our own lives. In our sin, we are without a hope, and yet God out of his abundant grace and love comes to us anyway,” said Todd Cioffi, co-director of CPI.
“There aren’t parts of creation we give up on, that’s not the God we serve,” said David Rylaarsdam, professor of historical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. “We believe all people are made in the image of God. We believe when God’s light shines in the darkest places of life, renewal is possible.”
The Calvin Prison Initiative currently enrolls 55 students. Inmates from any of the 30 men’s prisons in the Michigan Department of Corrections system can apply to the program, and each August about 20 admitted students are transferred to Handlon. To date, more than 30 faculty members and dozens of students from Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary have served in the CPI program. A few professors from other area colleges and universities have also taught courses in the program.
Grateful students
“This program has changed my life. It’s given me an opportunity to be the person I feel like I was always meant to be. College in prison is something that’s becoming almost non-existent. For an institution to come in here and offer a fully accredited bachelor’s degree is unbelievable.” – Dustin
“Everyone wants their humanity affirmed, nobody wants to be judged for the worst of life. We have PhD profs coming in and they’re tutoring us. Only in God’s kingdom.” – Michael
“Every person has the potential to affect, as Kuyper calls it, God or Christ’s every square inch. So we might not be able to change a lot of things, but there’s a sphere of influence that each one of us has.” – Raymond
“Calvin College coming into the Handlon campus, bringing in the CPI program, has been such a tremendous blessing in my life, one that I will be forever grateful for, one that I will be paying forward for the rest of my life.” – Dustin
Foot golf is one of the new sports at the Meijer State Games. (by CKGolf)
The Meijer State Games of Michigan kicks off Saturday, June 16, for it’s 8th annual Olympics- style games in the greater Grand Rapids Area. The opening ceremony for the games will be held at East Kentwood High School on Friday, June 22.
Three new games have been introduced into the lineup this year which include footgolf, archery tag and three shooting events: bb gun, air rifle and air pistol.
“I think this will be appealing to people who want to get in the shooting range, be competitive and have some fun,” Ron Carr, the organizer of this year’s shooting events, said in supplied materials.
Footgolf director for the games, Mirza Causevic, described footgolf as “a twist of golf and soccer.” She expects an interest from all age groups with the addition of this new sport.
Events for the opening ceremony will include Skydivers dropping into the football stadium with the American flag, an athlete parade and the lighting of the cauldron. Overall, the events run from June 16 to Aug. 19.
With registration now open for most of the sporting events, an estimated 8,000 athletes of all ages are expected to compete in this years summer games. Visit here to register.
Godfrey-Lee Public School’s newest Board of Education member, Josephine (Jo-C) Coleman was sworn in May 14. (Supplied)
By Godfrey-Lee Public Schools
On Monday, May 14, the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Board of Education appointed Josephine Coleman as Trustee to the Board of Education.
Board President, Eric Mockerman, said that Mrs. Coleman was selected because of her “dedication and commitment to the students and families of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools over a long period of time.”
Superintendent Kevin Polston praised “Coleman’s selfless service to the district, and her commitment to the community. She is an excellent choice, who will represent our school district with pride.”
Josephine and her husband Donald are the parents of two children, Donald and Chance, both graduates of Lee High School. Josephine and her husband are also veterans of the United States Army, where she rose to the rank of Specialist. She is currently employed at Tower International as an IT Business Analyst.
She has served as Secretary for the Parent Teacher Committee (2002-2004), Band Boosters (2007-2015), and Athletic Boosters (2010-2016). She currently serves as Co-Treasurer for the Lee Soccer Alumni Association.
When asked why she wanted to run for the position, she said she wants “to serve the community and our students. Our students appreciate the quality education from the caring adults at Godfrey-Lee, and it’s rewarding to serve them.”
Coleman will serve on the Board for the remainder of 2018. The seat was held by Rebecca Kibbe, who had to give up the position due to her family moving out of the district. The seat, with a six year term, will be up for election in November.
Spanish language version
Junta de Educación de las Escuelas Públicas de Godfrey-Lee nombra nuevo miembro
El lunes 14 de mayo de, 2018, la Junta de Educación GLPS designó a Josephine Coleman como Fideicomisario a la Junta de Educación. El Presidente de la Junta Eric Mockerman comentó que la señora Coleman fue seleccionado debido a su “dedicación y el compromiso hacia estudiantes y las familias de las Escuelas Públicas de Godfrey-Lee durante un largo período de tiempo.”
Josefina y su esposo Donald son los orgullosos padres de dos hijos, Donald y Chance, ambos graduados de la Escuela Preparatoria Lee. Josephine y su marido también son orgullosos veteranos del ejército de Estados Unidos, donde alcanzó el grado de Especialista. Actualmente ella trabaja en la Torre Internacional como analista de negocios de IT.
Ella sirvió como Secretaria de la Comisión de Padres y Maestros (2002-2004), Band Boosters (2007-2015), y Athletics Boosters (2010-2016). Actualmente se desempeña como Co-Tesorera de la Asociación de Graduados de fútbol Lee. Cuando se le preguntó por qué quería correr para el cargo, dijo que quiere “servir a nuestra comunidad y estudiantes. Nuestros estudiantes aprecian la calidad de la educación de los adultos interesados en Godfrey-Lee, y es gratificante servirles.”
La señora Coleman servirá en la Junta el resto del 2018. El puesto lo tenía Rebecca Kibbe, que tuvo que renunciar a la posición debido a que su familia se mueve fuera del distrito. El Puesto con un mandato de 6 años será puesto para elección en noviembre, 2018.
The newly established Michigan Small Farm Newsletter is a monthly newsletter aimed at providing small-scale farmers the opportunity to network and learn from other growers around the state. Each month, field reports from Michigan growers are submitted, compiled and distributed to subscribers around the state. These field reports are designed to provide context of what is happening on small farms around Michigan, better connecting growers and providing support through shared knowledge and insight. Participants are able to submit a field report as frequently as they would like (submissions are not mandatory) and have the option to be anonymous.
In addition to field reports, the newsletters contain links to Michigan State University Extension articles, upcoming events and other information relevant to small-scale farmers. The goal of the newsletter is to create a network of small-scale producers that can provide each other support through increased communication and transparency. As one subscriber put it after reading the first newsletter, “It was great to read the reports… I have already gotten some useful information and it has only just begun!”
There are many resources and services in the Grand Rapids area that are available to citizens transitioning out of prison and back into society, but these are not always easily accessible or made known to such citizens. How can these returning citizens find what they need when they don’t know where to start? Where can they go for assistance, and how will they get there? Whom can they call to set up appointments beforehand?
According to Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) program assistant Julie Bylsma, returning citizens discover these resources primarily by word-of-mouth, or from their parole officers.
“Some [parole officers] tell them a lot about Grand Rapids and are interested in seeing them succeed; others just give them a document with phone numbers,” Bylsma said. “But they need something that actually shows them information and helps them understand how to get there.”
After two years of working on a solution to this issue, CPI and the Henry Institute at Calvin College have created the Returning Citizens Resources online application: a user-friendly, interactive, spatial map of resources and services in the Grand Rapids area to empower returning citizens in their transition out of prison and into society.
Returning Citizens Resources app
The process of creating the app began with an idea from political science professor and Henry Institute director Kevin den Dulk following a church discussion group meeting he attended on restorative justice.
“A returning citizen joined us one evening and I asked about the greatest challenges he faced when he got out of prison. He noted the nitty-gritty problem of tracking down where to find services; information was fragmented among a variety of groups, and those groups often didn’t know what others were doing,” den Dulk said. “I realized that was a problem we could tackle through some intrepid data-sleuthing and geographical work.”
Thus, in fall 2015, the work began with den Dulk reaching out to geography professor Jason VanHorn to propose his idea.
“Kevin approached me and said he was interested in issues of justice. He told me he was working on an interplay between civil service and organizations that are friendly for re-entry services,” VanHorn explained. “He then asked me, ‘Could you map those?’ And that simple question led us to the next steps of truly exciting research.”
Photo courtesy Calvin College
VanHorn then approached Julie Bylsma, a senior biology student at the time, who was taking Intro to GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and who he knew was also interested in criminal justice. Bylsma had begun her work with the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) in fall 2015 as well, and she agreed to begin collaborating with VanHorn and den Dulk on the project. She worked on the project through spring 2016 in Advanced GIS, and with Jon Gordon, who was a research fellow of the Henry Institute at the time, gathering most of the data. Bylsma also worked with VanHorn and den Dulk the following year in a research position through the Henry Institute up until the application went live in August 2017.
From the beginning, the goal was to make the app a one-stop resource for returning citizens to find everything they might need to smoothly reenter society. The categories of resources and services included in the app are: housing, employment, food & clothing, legal assistance, counseling services, welcoming churches (and organizations), transportation, and other services.
“We wanted it to be as easy and simple as possible for the users,” VanHorn said. “You don’t see technical jargon and geography vocabulary on there, which could easily be the case.”
Henry Institute & CPI
As the director of the Henry Institute at Calvin, den Dulk believes the institute is well positioned to oversee this kind of project. The institute provides resources for scholarship; encourages citizen involvement and education; structures opportunities to disseminate scholarly work; seeks avenues to communicate and promote information about Christianity and public life to the broader public; and motivates and trains future scholars and leaders.
“We have a sweet spot for projects that have research potential while also addressing real-world problems,” den Dulk said. “On this project, for example, we can serve a disadvantaged group through research, especially by using spatial analysis, or mapping, to identify ‘service deserts’ for returning citizens.”
One of the ways the Henry Institute takes on projects like these is through a program called the ‘Civitas Lab,’ which pairs students as paid assistants with faculty who have both technical knowledge and great passion.
“Bylsma and VanHorn are the dynamic pair who brought these pieces together, applied the necessary technical know-how, and got the map out to the public,” den Dulk said.
The Calvin students at Handlon Prison are already excited to use the new app.
“In talking with the Handlon students, a few of them have told me that their cellmates or friends in the prison who are getting out have been looking forward to using it. One person used it in his parole plan, as you have to have a re-entry plan,” Bylsma said.
The Calvin Prison Initiative offers inmates an opportunity to earn a bachelor of arts in ministry leadership degree. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)
“When we met with prisoners at Handlon and they saw the app for the first time, their reactions were very positive,” VanHorn added. “They indicated overwhelming appreciation for the work, and that it would be a very valuable resource not only for returning citizens, but also for their families who can aid them in the transition back into society. It was really encouraging.”
Hopes for the app
Bylsma, Den Dulk, and VanHorn each have high hopes for the app, as there has already been great feedback from the Handlon students. They hope the mission and goals of the app don’t stop in Grand Rapids, though.
“I’m hoping the project paves a way for replication across the country and places around the world, because I think it’s possible,” VanHorn said. “Our overarching hope is to enable independence and an ability to choose in these returning citizens.”
“Right now [the app] is limited to Kent County, but we are working to secure funding to grow into as many Michigan counties as we can, and perhaps inspire similar work in other states,” den Dulk added. “I am most excited by the prospect that the map becomes a go-to resource for the post-release life-planning of returning citizens and their families. I’m also excited that we can start using our data to understand why there is often a mismatch between the locations of services and returning citizens.”
Bylsma believes providing this resource for returning citizens is an important piece in pursuing criminal justice.
“If [returning citizens] want to be successful, we want to give them the tools to become successful. It’s up to them to use the resources, but why would we ever handicap re-entering citizens from using them? If the resources are out there, and people are willing to give that assistance, it shouldn’t be that hard for them to find those services,” Bylsma said. “We would love to see prisoners come out and be able to get the help they need within a matter of hours or days, and the continuing help as well when they have their immediate needs met so they continue to be successful.”
The future of reentry assistance
VanHorn is working with MDOC (Michigan Department of Corrections) and other organizations to see how they can get the word out about the app. The app is the first of its kind; a few organizations have collected information for re-entry, but this is the most comprehensive resource for returning citizens with pins displayed and direct links to contact information. There is great hope from the creators of the app that their efforts will be duplicated.
“The court gave them punishment, and they served their time, so now we have to trust that they want to succeed and need to allow them to do so—we can’t tie both of their hands as they’re already walking into a terribly difficult situation,” Bylsma concluded. “It’s much different than someone starting their life over; this is often relearning adulthood. If we really gave them the chance to prove themselves without handicapping them in the first place, I believe we’d be impressed.”
About CPI
Eric Boldiszar shakes hands with Calvin College provost Cheryl Brandsen during the 2017 Convocation ceremony for the Calvin Prison Initiative students. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)
A partnership between Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) is a unique program that provides a Christian liberal arts education to inmates at Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan. This five-year program results in a bachelor of arts degree from Calvin College. The program equips inmates with the knowledge and skills required to be community leaders. The hope is that through this endeavor, not only will lives regain hope, but prison culture will be transformed, and justice there will become not merely retributive, but restorative.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus is Keith St. Clair, who has been teaching national and international political science at Grand Rapids Community College since 2002 and is frequently asked to discuss Middle East issues.
He has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East including a recent trip to Qatar — a small county strategically located between feuding regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. He talks with In Focus host Ken Norris about Qatar’s importance to U.S. foreign policy and current military presence in that often-troubled region.
Also on the episode, is Steve Prince, the director of Warriors Set Free, which is a veterans support program of Set Free Ministries, a Christian-based ministry run by veterans for veterans.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The episode debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, April 10, and will again air on Thursday, April 12, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of April 16. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
DeRuiter’s team, which included two students, delivered a workshop at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and allowed the students to develop meaningful connections with influential researchers. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)
By Hannah Ebeling, Calvin College
“The underlying motivation of our work and research is always inquisitiveness and wonder at animal ecology,” said Stacy DeRuiter, professor of mathematics and statistics at Calvin College. “We can learn so much about creation by exploring.”
DeRuiter has for years studied marine animals, using bio-logging technology.
Recognizing a need
“Bio-logging studies, where data on animal movements are collected using small, animal-borne devices that either store or transmit sensor data, are growing rapidly in numbers and in scope,” said DeRuiter.
As the technology advances, there are more opportunities to track longer and more frequent data sets of animal behavior. Instead of tracking the animal once every few seconds, researchers are now receiving feedback multiple times a second. However, this means there is much more data to account for and sort through, explained DeRuiter.
“While these tags offer exciting opportunities to observe animal behavior in unprecedented detail, there is a desperate need for freely available, easy-to-use, flexible tools to facilitate proper analysis and interpretation of the resulting data,” DeRuiter said.
Developing accessible and efficient software
“We thought it would be worthwhile to spend a year making better software that would be more accessible, as well as creating documentation and a workshop to make it easier for people to use in general,” she said.
Throughout summer 2017, DeRuiter led a collaborative project developing software tools for analysis of data from animal-borne movement-sensors. Her team included two students, who developed tools and delivered a workshop at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, introducing researchers to the tools and providing hands-on practice.
Before DeRuiter made the proposal for the project she received more than 30 letters from other researchers, who would benefit from her work, in support of the idea.
“It was amazing having the support of the community that really wanted this to happen but either did not have the time or funding to make it possible,” she said.
Gaining meaningful experience and connections
This project allowed students to develop some meaningful connections with influential researchers, explained DeRuiter.
“That is part of the reason I wanted them to come to Scotland and the University of St. Andrews,” she said. “They had done such great work and software development, and I wanted them to see the workshop play out.”
“The thing I enjoyed most was participating in the international workshop at the end of the summer,” said David Sweeny, a student researcher. “It was amazing to see how many different kinds of research topics from around the world are using the software functions that we have developed and translated.”
Sweeny said he is interested in this research because it gives him an insight into the lives of magnificent marine creatures during the times and in places that he otherwise would not be able to observe were it not for tags.
“This research provides so many ways to learn how we can best protect these animals,” he said. “Given that I care a lot about protecting the environment, this work is really important to me.”
Opening the door to future research
“One of the most important things that the Reformed tradition tells us about being Christian is that we don’t do it alone; we do it in community. Science, for example, proceeds by the careful work of many, many hands,” said DeRuiter. “The goals of the project were to democratize this kind of research and level the playing field for those who don’t have the same mentorship, training, or funding to buy software.”
This software will help DeRuiter track whale and dolphin behavior as well as open the door for other researchers to non-intrusively explore other animal habits.
“The availability of this software will only enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of current and future work being done around the world,” said Sweeny. “It will allow for increased collaboration between scientists which will have many different kinds of benefits in the future.”
A 90-minute drive … replaced by a single click. Thanks to Google, the course catalog is expanding, and students at three colleges, separated by 100 miles, are learning together.
“This isn’t happening anywhere else on this scale,” said Roman Williams, assistant professor of sociology at Calvin College.
Leading the way
In collaboration with Google, the Michigan Colleges Alliance is piloting the Google Course Share Collaboration, a new approach that aims to expand course options at smaller private colleges, while still retaining the faculty-driven teaching model.
Calvin, Alma, and Albion are participating in the pilot in spring 2018, each offering one course available to all three campuses.
“The whole idea is to offer courses that might not otherwise be offered because they are so specialized that student interest on one campus might not be enough to achieve the desired level of enrollment,” said Williams, who is teaching his Visual Toolkit course on Monday nights to six Alma, seven Albion, and six Calvin students. “Adding compelling technology to the mix amplifies students’ experiences.”
Powered by Google
How it works? Each campus is making a Google Extended Classroom available, complete with Hangouts Meet—Google’s video meeting software—and Jamboard—Google’s 55-inch, 4K interactive display, which is spurring collaboration through linking up digital whiteboards across the colleges. And each student has been given a Chromebook from their respective institution.
“The Jamboard is an interactive whiteboard that you can all share,” said Emma Chung, a junior digital communications major at Calvin who is taking “Media Theory and Culture” via Google Course Share through Albion College. “So, if Albion students are writing on it, we can see what they are writing, kind of like a Google Doc in a portable whiteboard form, but it’s still treated like a whiteboard. It’s pretty neat.”
The classrooms have two large monitors, each showing students from the other two participating colleges. Steelcase, the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world, has also joined the effort, and will be outfitting each classroom with comfortable seating and in helping create collaborative spaces for students to thrive.
Collaborating across colleges
Learning how best to collaborate from a distance takes a little time, says Williams. But, he says that students having the unique experience of helping pioneer a new way of learning, combined with the novelty of working with “cool technology,” are already going a long way in producing higher levels of student participation, engagement, and enthusiasm about these courses.
Students agree.
“I think it’s a really enriching experience. You get a chance to interact with students from another campus that isn’t yours, who you haven’t spent four years with,” said Taylor Hartson, a junior sociology major at Calvin. “It’s also a good experience for people considering going to grad school. ‘How do I interact with strangers for the first time? How do I adjust to a class that isn’t taught in a way that’s the way I’ve been taking the last several years?’”
Hartson, who is taking Williams’ class, is looking forward to more opportunities to hear from classmates representing various disciplines and multiple institutions. “It’s interesting to hear the perspectives of those not in this field on an up-and-coming methodology, to kind of explore that together, to see what it looks like to use this methodology in communications or in biology. It’s cool to hear all these perspectives.”
Opening more options
The pilot program is testing the viability of an academic-resource-sharing model between colleges, giving students and faculty more access to resources. The Michigan Colleges Alliance represents an ideal platform for launching a new course delivery system like this one. The MCA consists of 14 smaller private institutions. But, collectively, the alliance comprises the third largest student body in the state of Michigan.
What Google Course Share allows is for private institutions to keep their student-centered learning and close faculty interaction—hallmarks of the experiences they currently offer—all while expanding their course options for students.
One Calvin student wrote in her reflection after the first class, ‘I LOVE THIS TECHNOLOGY! That’s all I have to say for now. I feel like I’m living in the future.’
“On many levels she is correct,” said Williams, “she is living into the future. Increasingly a company’s workforce is spread across multiple locations and using meeting/collaboration technology like Google’s Jamboard and Hangouts Meet are the norm. A student who experiences a course like the ones we’re offering gains aptitudes and skills for thriving in the global economy.”
Calvin College’s Center for Social Research (CSR) has been tasked by MCA with evaluating the pilot program. Through surveys, focus groups, and research, CSR will provide an evaluation by the end of April 2018. The plan is to publish these results after the final evaluation.
Calvin College is honored with 2017 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. Calvin is one of four Michigan institutions to receive the distinction. (University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, and Western Michigan University were also included.)
“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for us all.”
Tree Campus USA, an Arbor Day Foundation program, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Calvin College achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project. Currently there are 344 campuses across the United States with this recognition. This is Calvin’s sixth consecutive year being named a Tree Campus USA.
“Calvin’s Tree Campus USA designation shows the importance we place on not only the care and management of our existing trees, but also on campus involvement in planting new ones,” said Bob Speelman, Calvin’s landscape operations supervisor and a certified arborist. “Campus trees play a key role in making this an attractive, sustainable and enjoyable place to live, work and visit. I am pleased that our role as stewards of the campus urban forest has been recognized once again.”
The Arbor Day Foundation is a million member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. The organization has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $48 million in campus forest management last year.
Late last year, as they have at the end of each semester for the last three three school years, Wyoming High School students and teachers honored six exemplary students with the Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character Award — two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors.
And WKTV’s cameras were there to assist the school in recording the event.
There will be special airings of the event on WKTV cable channel 25 next week, with the Alpha Wolf Awards being broadcast Wednesday, March 14, at 5 p.m.; Friday, March 16, at 11 p.m.; and Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m.
The Dec. 7, 2017, ceremony was attended by the student body, special guests from the Wyoming community, City of Wyoming city and public safety leaders, school district administration and the Wyoming Board of Education members. There was also a special flag ceremony.
A special guest at the recent ceremony was the staff of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan and its executive director, Christy Buck, who spoke about the group’s Be Nice initiative. The program works in schools and the community to provide simple, common sense, ways to prevent suicide and be proactive to other dangers resulting from mental illness.
The Alpha Wolf program was led by teachers Jonathan Bushen and John Doyle, who started the program three years ago modeled on a program at Grandville high school, where he kids attended. But many teachers and staff members were involved.
“The science that we have today is shaped so much by a desire to know the God that created it,” said David Malone, dean of college and seminary library. John James Audubon reflects this desire to understand creation in his passionate and detailed study of North American birds.
Rare Audubon prints gifted to Calvin
Calvin College was recently gifted, by Udean Burke, Birds of America, a collection of prints by naturalist and painter John James Audubon. The collection was produced in 1966 by American Heritage Publishing and has an estimated value in the tens of thousands. The set contains 431 colored illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the United States, and is one of only 120 complete sets known to exist. Audubon’s Birds of America was originally produced between 1827 and 1838, consisting of hand-colored prints made by engraved plates.
The donor, owner of Nancy and Udean Christian Tours, emphasized the importance of gifting this set to a Christian institution. “The donor was looking for a Christian school that would put them to use,” said Malone. The prints were given to be used at the discretion of the college, without restrictions, for the needs of the school, he said.
“I think it reflects well on Calvin that someone really not that familiar with Calvin, except by reputation, would select us for this gift,” said Randy Vogelzang, director of gift planning and major gifts. “It was an unexpected blessing and quite an honor and a privilege that they would have the confidence in supporting us and Calvin’s mission.”
Collection to be available to all
“Generally, when we have something like this, it’s my desire that we not hide it somewhere just in storage, and that the materials get engaged,” said Malone. “That’s really at the core of what a library does.” They are valuable and need to be well cared for, but that does not necessarily mean they need to be sequestered and unavailable, explained Malone.
The library’s goal would be that these prints are engaged and made available for natural science and history courses to understand the role of documentation in the history of science. “The collection is very attractive, and I can imagine that it could be framed and hung around the campus,” he said.
Complete set in perfect condition
The prints are in near perfect condition and while individual prints of Audubon’s Birds of North America are available, it is much rarer to come across a complete set of all 431 prints, much less in perfect condition, explained Vogelzang. “There are very few private colleges that have sets like this,” he said. “It is pretty remarkable for a smaller college to have something like this in their collection.”
“It was attractive to obtain them simply because of what they were, but it’s also desirable to find new ways of connecting curriculum with resources, and these kinds of visual materials are very different in that way,” said Malone.
What separates Audubon’s work is the detail and the intricacy that he was able to create in his documentation, explained Malone. The prints show the change in how the natural world was being documented and viewed at the time. “These fit well within a reformed perspective,” said Malone. “This is God’s creation, let us fully understand the depth of it and try and understand as much as we can.”
Kalina Reese is researching rare diseases alongside Calvin biology professor Amy Wilstermann
By Hannah Ebeling, Calvin College
One in ten people is affected by a rare disease in some way, explained Rachael Baker, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Calvin College. “Because there are 7,000 different rare diseases, everyone is probably going to know someone, a friend or family member with a rare disease at some point,” she said. “We want to raise awareness about what that looks like.”
Rare diseases and real stories
On March 3, 2018, Calvin and the Rare Disease Research Group will hold the first Rare Disease Symposium. This event will provide individuals the opportunity to learn about current research efforts in rare diseases that affect members of the local community. It will also allow local patients and their families to talk about living with rare diseases. February 28 is Rare Disease Day. Across the country on that day, people gather to recognize rare diseases.
“We wanted to have our symposium as close to rare disease day as possible,” said Baker.
“In West Michigan currently there does not seem to be any sort of rare disease community,” said Amy Wilstermann, biology professor. “There are families in the area that are affected by rare disease, people doing research on rare disease, medical professionals that are treating patients, and we have a lot of our students that are headed into medical professions. The goal of the Rare Disease Symposium is to bring all of these people together so that they can talk to one another and build some support networks and connect people to resources that they might not even be aware of.”
A community for those affected by rare disease
“Rare diseases are very important for just understanding health and the human body, but we didn’t want our students to only think of them in that context,” said Baker. “We wanted them to have a bigger vision for who is affected in this community and understand how can we speak to and minister to those people as we research.”
“Being sick is not a unique experience, but having a rare disease is,” said Baker. “When you have a rare disease, you’ve probably never heard of it before, you probably don’t know anyone else who has had it before, your doctor has probably never even diagnosed it before.” In the case of one of the symposiums’ speakers, their child is the only person in the world who has this specific disease. Things like ‘How will the disease progress as my child ages?’ is an open question for many families.
“Because of those factors, it can take a long time to get a diagnosis, and once you get a diagnosis, it can feel very isolating,” said Baker. “But, there are some very common emotions and experiences that are shared by many families that are diagnosed with rare diseases even if they don’t have the same rare disease. We think it is important to help them gather together and meet each other.”
A space to connect and learn
“Studying rare diseases is really important to me, because as a Christian I place a lot of importance on being a steward of all God’s people, especially the ones who are in the minority,” said Kalina Reese, a biochemistry and music double major, assisting in the symposium’s planning. “This experience has made me seriously consider the availability of disability research and the importance of making public areas accessible to those with diseases and disabilities.”
“I think the symposium fits into Calvin’s mission in a lot of ways,” said Wilstermann. “We are thinking about acting justly and living wholeheartedly.” In the rare disease community, because there are so many rare diseases that so few people have, there is not a big emphasis on research, she explained.
“I think one of the ways we feel that we are living out the mission is seeking out some of those areas of God’s kingdom that are neglected and devoting time to them.”
“We are hoping a lot of students attend the Rare Disease Symposium,” said Wilstermann. “Many will be working with people who are affected by rare disease at some point, and I would hope that they get a greater sense of the prevalence of rare diseases and understand the challenges, but also the resilience of some of these families at the event.”
“If someone comes in from the community who has a rare disease or is caring for someone that does, I hope they walk away from the symposium seeing Calvin as a new resource,” said Baker. “We are hoping the symposium will be the beginning of new relationships with a lot of community members affected by rare disease.”
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of Wyoming and Kentwood sports events and government meetings, including the monthly Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The WKTV sports truck heads out twice this week for featured game coverage. First, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, It will be boys varsity basketball as Tri-unity Christian (12-4 overall, 7-1 in Alliance League as of Feb. 17) will host Muskegon Oakridge (5-10 overall, 7-8 in the West Michigan Conference) in a non-league tilt.
Then on Friday, Feb. 23, it’s an OK Gold varsity doubleheader with both boys and girls basketball being covered as Wyoming hosts East Grand Rapids. First up will be the Wolves girls team (9-10; 5-6 conference as of Feb. 16) against the Pioneer girls (15-3; 8-2). After that game will be the Wolves boys (14-4 overall, 10–1 conference as of Feb. 16) against the Pioneer boys (10-6 overall, 5-4).
Currently, each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
The last of the February featured broadcast schedule is:
Saturday, Feb. 24 — Boys Hockey: FH Central at East Kentwood
Following is the complete schedule of all local high school sports action this week. For any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Monday, Feb. 19
Boys/Girls Bowling
Wyoming Lee @ Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Girls Basketball
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Potter’s House @ Zion Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Algoma Christian
Western Michigan Christian @ Grand River Prep
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Belding @ Kelloggsville
West Michigan Lutheran @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys Basketball
Middleville T-K @ South Christian
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
Potter’s House @ Zion Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Black River
Western Michigan Christian @ Grand River Prep
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Belding
West Michigan Lutheran @ Algoma Christian
Muskegon Oakridge @ Tri-unity Christian – WKTV Featured Event
Boys/Girls Bowling
Wyoming Lee @ Potter’s House
Wellsprings Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian
Wednesday, Feb. 21
Girls Basketball
Benton Harbor @ Godwin Heights
West Michigan Aviation @ WMAES
Boys Basketball
Benton Harbor @ Godwin Heights
West Michigan Aviation @ WMAES
Thursday, Feb. 22
Boys Swimming
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven
Friday, Feb. 23
Girls Basketball
South Christian @ Wayland
Potter’s House @ Algoma Christian
Holland Black River @ Zion Christian
Grandville @ East Kentwood
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming – Coaches vs Cancer – WKTV Featured Event
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
WMAES @ West Michigan Lutheran
Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys Basketball
South Christian @ Wayland
Algoma Christian @ Potter’s House
Creative Technologies @ West Michigan Aviation
Holland Black River @ Zion Christian
Grandville @ East Kentwood
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming – Coaches vs Cancer – WKTV Featured Event
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
West Michigan Lutheran @ WMAES
Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys Hockey
South Christian vs West Ottawa @ Griffs Ice West
East Kentwood @ East Grand Rapids
Boys Swimming
South Christian @ TBA – O-K Conference Meet
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven
Boys/Girls Bowling
Godwin Heights @ Muskegon Mona Shores – Team Regionals
East Kentwood @ Battle Creek Lakeview – Team Regionals
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys basketball team avenged an early-season loss on Tuesday, Feb. 13, by edging out Alliance League rival Grand River Prep by a score of 69-61.
The Aviators continue their conference slate on Friday night at Zion Christian in Byron Center.
(And WKTV’s featured game coverage crew will be there covering it for cable and on-demand replay. For complete list of upcoming local sports and WKTV featured games see our weekly sports schedule.
The Aviators (6-2 in league; 9-5 overall) fell to the Titans, 55-41, early on in the season in a non-conference spat. But, with league implications on the line Tuesday night on the road, Micah Broersma and Sam Ver Steeg dialed up brilliant games from long range to power WMAA to a victory.
Broersma finished with a game-high 26 points. He was 8-for-14 from behind the 3-point line while Ver Steeg added 14 points, which included a 4-for-8 performance from deep. The Aviators finished 13-for-26 (50 percent) from long range and 26-for-50 from the field as a whole.
Darnell Frye added 10 points for West Michigan Aviation Academy, followed by eight points from Bakar Dadiri and seven points from Ryan Robertson. Dadiri also added eight assists while Robertson paced the rebounding effort for WMAA with 10 boards.
Both teams went into the locker room at half time gridlocked in a 29-all tie, but it was the Aviators that stormed out in the second half to take control of the game. WMAA outscored the Titans 21-10 in the third frame and held on the rest of the way.
WKTV Note: Are you a student, parent, fan or coach of local high school sports interested in submitting stories to WKTV Journal for run on our website? Contact Ken at ken@wktv.org .
The WKTV sports truck will be busy as usual as it heads out twice this week for featured game coverage, first with a boy’s basketball game on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at Wyoming High School as the OK Gold Conference leading Wolves (8-1 in conference; 12-4 overall as of Feb. 9.) hosts Wayland (2-5; 6-9 as of Feb. 9).
Then on Friday, Feb. 16, we will be covering both boys and girls games at Zion Christian as they host West Michigan Aviation Academy.
Currently, each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com .
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
The remainder of the tentative February broadcast schedule includes:
Saturday, Feb. 17 – Boys Hockey – South Christian/BC at East Kentwood
Tuesday, Feb. 20 – Boys Basketball – Muskegon Oakridge at Tri-Unity Christian
Friday, Feb. 23 – Girls and Boys Basketball – East Grand Rapids at Wyoming
Saturday, Feb. 24 – Boys Hockey – FH Central at East Kentwood
Monday, Feb. 12
Boys/Girls Bowling
Unity Christian @ South Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights
West Catholic @ Potter’s House
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Zeeland East @ Wyoming
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Girls Cheer
Wyoming Lee @ FH Northern – NorthStar Invitational
Wyoming @ FH Northern – NorthStar Invitational
Tuesday, Feb. 13
Girls Basketball
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Godwin Heights @ Belding
West Michigan Aviation @ Grand River Prep
Wellsprings Prep @ Zion Christian
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Wayland @ Wyoming
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
West Michigan Lutheran @ Algoma Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Fennville
Boys Basketball
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Belding @ Godwin Heights
Heritage Christian @ Potter’s House
West Michigan Aviation @ Grand River Prep
Wellsprings Prep @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Wayland @ Wyoming – WKTV Featured Event
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
Tri-Unity Christian @ Fennville
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Boys/Girls Bowling
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Boys Wrestling
State Team Regionals @ TBA
Girls Cheer
Wyoming @ Comstock Park
Thursday, Feb. 15
Girls Basketball
Potter’s House @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys Basketball
Potter’s House @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys/Girls Bowling
Potter’s House @ Tri-Unity Christian
Friday, Feb. 16
Girls Basketball
South Christian vs Covenant Christian @ Calvin College
West Michigan Aviation @ Zion Christian – WKTV Featured Event
Grand River Prep @ Fruitport Calvary Christian
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Christian @ Wyoming – Hall of Fame Night
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Tri-Unity Christian @ Holland Black River
Boys Basketball
South Christian vs Covenant Christian @ Calvin College
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
West Michigan Aviation @ Zion Christian – WKTV Featured Event
Each of the many locations where the One Wyoming Community Collaborative’s second annual Winterfest community events took place on Saturday, Jan. 27, had unique offerings for the many unique communities which make up Wyoming.
And maybe there is no event, and no community, as unique as the neighborhood around the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center on Joosten Street SW — with its large hispanic population and its bilingual communication embraced as a community strength.
The weather was great — for January — at the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center’s Winterfest event. (WKTV)
So it was only fit that notice of events — from raffle winners, to food offerings, to games on a playground free of snow and the sun shinning bright on a January day — were all announced in Spanish as well as English.
But there were not only fun and games available at the event. In addition to a visit from police Officer Shad McGinnis of the Community Services Unit, and a city firetruck, there were several community service groups represented.
“Here at Winterfest for the Godfrey-Lee community, we have various resources partners, resource services, non-profits in our area, people that serve our community,” Sydney Hanlon, am ECC staff member, said to WKTV. “It is an opportunity for our families, our community, to come out, look at the different opportunities that are available for them, to volunteer, to find resources, to get services from these partners — and to just have a good time.
“Here at Godfrey-Lee ECC, this is just one part of our school district, and Godfrey-Lee is a community school district — it is the only school district in Kent County that is a total community school,” she added. “What that means is that we try to provide services for our community so that we do not have to go outside the community but their (social and health service) needs can be met here.”
One Wyoming is made up of a collaboration of schools, businesses, local government, churches, nonprofits and residents to improve the quality of life in the community. It is best known for its successful 1-on-1 mentoring program.
Wyoming’s Winterfest is similar to National Night Out, which takes place in August. This years’s event had seven different locations in various neighborhoods throughout the city. Each location has activities that have been planned by churches, residents and businesses of that neighborhood. Each site will have its own slate of events, but all will feature food, family-friendly activities, health related information and activities, and giveaways from businesses and other local organizations.
The morning locations, included The Dock, located near Kelloggsville High School on South Division Avenue (actually Grand Rapids), Wyoming Junior High School on Wrenwood Street SW, West Elementary School (with Calvary Church) 38th Street SW, and Grace Bible College on Aldon Street SW.
The list of afternoon locations, in addition to the ECC, included North Godwin Elementary School, on 34th Street and Vanguard Charter School on 52nd Street SW.
For more information about the event or about One Wyoming, visit onewyoming.com.
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools inducted four into its Hall of Fame earlier this month, two individuals who made an impact in the classroom, one on the basketball court and in the community, and a series of cross country teams worthy of the name “Team of the Decade”.
The induction ceremony took place prior to a varsity boys basketball game on Jan. 12 at Lee High School, but as is the custom at the district, the inductees were not only athletes and athletic teams.
The team honored with entry to the Hall of Fame honor was actually not a single team, but a series of cross county teams — The Team of the Decade of the 1970s, as it is often called.
Art Kraai, himself a member of the Hall of Fame, accepted the award for his teams. (WKTV)
While the teams and team members were honored, it was their coach, Art Kraai, himself a member of the Hall of Fame, who accepted the award. Coach Kraai read off a long list of accomplishments for the Long Blue Line in dominate cross county seasons from 1971 to 1982, including the boys winning four state titles and the girls winning one — noting that it wasn’t until late in the run that girls even had state competitions.
One thing that unified all the teams, was the coach’s rallying cry, which he repeated as he closed his remarks: “Back in my day, we would say, ‘Coach, coach, open the door and let those Rebels on the floor’.”
Douglas Greenwold was a star Rebel in the class room and on the basketball team. (WKTV)
First up of the individuals on the honor roll was Douglas Greenwold, who was a star Rebel in the class room and on the basketball team — being named valedictorian leading the Rebels to the 1960 state finals — and then went on to play on University of Michigan’s first Final Four team in 1964. He earned his bachelors and two masters degrees at U-M, and went on to a long career in business and a continuing career in religious studies, including as an author and a teacher.
James D. Skidmore brought a passion for teaching and head for accounting to Lee high school. (WKTV)
The next honoree was James D. Skidmore, who brought a passion for teaching and head for accounting to Lee high school. Skidmore earned a bachelors degree from Ferris Institute and a masters from Michigan State University before joining the Lee staff in 1958. As a Rebel, he not only taught bookkeeping and accounting but also was faculty advisor for the Echo yearbook, Arial student newspaper and the National Honor Society. His late wife, Sally, was also a teacher at Lee. Skidmore went on to a long and distinguished teaching career at Grand Rapids Community College before retiring in 1999. But you know that they say: once a Rebel, always a Rebel.
Since the early 1960s, Patricia Camp Bartlett has been involved with the high school and the school district in literally all levels. (WKTV)
The final individual honored was Patricia Camp Bartlett. Since the early 1960s, she has been involved with the high school and the school district in literally all levels. She attended Lee, graduating in 1965, with four years in the band and four years in the Future Teachers of American group — a harbinger of a career to come. After getting her bachelors degree from Michigan State, she returned to Lee as a teacher in 1969, later earned a masters degree, and went ton to spend 37 years in district classrooms. In 1990, she was a state finalist for Michigan Teacher of the Year. After retiring in 2005, she remains active in the school district including as part of the Feeding America food distribution program at Lee high and currently serving on the Godfrey-Lee Education Foundation Board of Directors.
Students participate at one of the 2017 Winterfest booths. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
news@wktv.org
After a successful debut last year, the One Wyoming Community Collaborative will present the 2018 version of its Winterfest community-wide series of events on Saturday, Jan. 27, with events planned any seven different locations but with one goal: to get people out and talking to their neighbors.
One Wyoming is made up of a collaboration of schools, businesses, local government, churches, nonprofits and residents to improve the quality of life in the community. It is best known for its successful 1-on-1 mentoring program.
Wyoming’s Winterfest is similar to National Night Out, which takes place in August. This years’s event will have seven different locations in various neighborhoods throughout the city. Each location has activities that have been planned by churches, residents and businesses of that neighborhood. Each site will have its own slate of events, but all will feature food, family-friendly activities, health related information and activities, and giveaways from businesses and other local organizations.
Where things are happening
The list of morning locations, open from 9-11 a.m., include: The Dock, located near Kelloggsville High School at 4669 South Division Ave. (actually Grand Rapids); Wyoming Junior High School, 2125 Wrenwood St. SW; West Elementary School (with Calvary Church), 1840 38th St. SW; and Grace Bible College, 1011 Aldon St. SW.
The list of afternoon locations, open from noon-2 p.m., include: North Godwin Elementary School, 161 34th St.; Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center, 961 Joosten St. SW.; and Vanguard Charter School, 1620 52nd St, SW.
For more information about the event or about One Wyoming, visit onewyoming.com.
Taking advantage of changes in state rules on how schools can spend sinking fund millage requests, and after unanimous approval by the Godfrey-Lee School Board this week, the district will put before voters on the May 8 ballot a 3-mill sinking fund request to address safety, security and technology issues.
An 2016 amendment to the state’s School Code allows expenditure of up-to-10-year, 3-mill maximum, sinking fund millage increases for additional school infrastructure uses such as technology and security upgrades in addition to building repairs and renovations.
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston, center, speaks to the State Board of Education recently. (Supplied)
Approval of a new sinking fund would “ease the general fund to allow as many dollars as possible to stay in the classroom,” Superintendent Kevin Polston said to WKTV. “A new eligible area of the sinking fund is technology. We currently use general fund dollars to pay for technology devices. As we know, general fund dollars fluctuate and there is no guarantee as to what we will get from year to year. Much less keeping up with inflation. The sinking fund will provide a sustainable means to provide current technology devices for our students across our K-12 system.”
The 3 mills would be collected for 10 years — 2019 to 2028 — and generate approximately $315,000 the first year. Polston said 2 mills would go toward maintenance, energy and safety and security, with 1 mill for technology.
Polston said a series of community meetings will be scheduled to discuss the tax request with residents.
“In regards to maintenance, as stewards of our taxpayers dollars, we need to maintain our buildings to provide the best learning environments we can for our students. If we do not follow a regular maintenance schedule, it will result in higher costs and less dollars going to the classroom,” Polston said.
“In addition, there are new technologies that have lower operating costs, but have an initial up front cost. An example is through the sinking fund we will install LED lighting in all of our buildings. LED lighting provides an enhanced learning environment at a significantly reduced operating costs and longer lifespan.”
The district’s previous sinking fund levy, 1.9976-mill, approved by Godfrey-Lee voters in 2009 is expiring.
According to the district, the average home value for a residence in the district is $67,169 and a homeowner with a homestead exemption is currently paying $67 per year and with the extra mill requested would see an increase of $34 for a total of $101.
Key conference games, as well as Wyoming Lee’s annual Hall of Fame games, are on the schedule this week as WKTV’s sports crew will be on the road Jan. 12 with a doubleheader of boys and girls basketball at Wyoming High School when the South Christian Sailors challenge the Wolves in a pair of key early year OK Conference Gold games.
On the girls side, Wyoming enters with an 0-1 conference record, 4-3 overall, after opening up OK Gold play with a tough 49-46 road loss at Thornapple Kellogg Friday, Jan. 5, and before another road game Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Forest Hills Eastern. South Christian will enter 1-0 in conference after a 59-29 home win over Forest Hills Eastern Friday, 5-2 overall, before hosting Grand Rapids Christian Tuesday.
On the boys side, Wyoming enters with an 1-0 conference record, 4-2 overall, after opening up OK Gold play with a 67-37 win at Thornapple Kellogg and before a home game Tuesday, Jan. 9, against Forest Hills Eastern. South Christian will enter 1-0 in conference, 4-1 overall, after a 56-50 win Forest Hills Eastern Friday and before a road game at Christian Tuesday.
Wyoming Lee will host Kelloggsville on Friday in the school’s annual Hall of Fame game.
The remainder of the tentative January Featured Game broadcast schedule is:
Tuesday. Jan. 16 — Boys Basketball: West Ottawa at East Kentwood
Tuesday, Jan. 23 — Boys Basketball: NorthPointe Christian at Godwin Heights
Thursday, Jan. 25 — Boys Swimming: Grandville at East Kentwood
Currently, each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Each Friday game will be aired that night on WKTV 25 at 11 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktv.viebit.com.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Local high school sports events this week are as follows:
Monday, Jan. 8
Boys/Girls Bowling
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights
Unity Christian @ Wyoming
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Catholic Central @ Tri-Unity Christian
Tuesday Jan. 9
Girls Basketball
Godwin Heights @ Kelloggsville
Wyoming @ FH Eastern
Caledonia @ East Kentwood – WKTV Featured Game
Holland Black River @ Grand River Prep
West Michigan Aviation @ Martin
Zion Christian @ Holland Calvary
West Michigan Lutheran @ WMAES
Hopkins @ Tri-Unity Christian
Christian @ South Christian
Boys Basketball
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights
FH Eastern @ Wyoming
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Covenant Christian @ Potter’s House
Holland Black River @ Grand River Prep
West Michigan Aviation @ Martin
West Michigan Lutheran @ WMAES
Hopkins @ Tri-Unity Christian
South Christian @ Christian
Girls Cheer
@ East Kentwood – Falcon Invite
Wednesday, Jan. 10
Boys/Girls Bowling
Godwin Heights @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
Wyoming @ Zeeland East
Potter’s House @ Wyoming Lee
Boys Wrestling
Godwin Heights @ Coopersville
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
FH Eastern @ Wyoming
TBA @ Wyoming Lee
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Girls Cheer
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Boys Hockey
Catholic Central @ East Kentwood
Thursday, Jan. 11
Boys/Girls Bowling
Wyoming Lee @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys Swimming
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Friday, Jan. 12
Girls Basketball
Godwin Heights @ Hopkins
South Christian @ Wyoming – WKTV Featured Game
West Michigan Aviation @ Potter’s House
Holland Calvary @ Grand River Prep
Calvary Christian @ Zion Christian
West Michigan Lutheran @ Creative Technologies
Tri-Unity Christian @ Covenant Christian
Boys Basketball
Godwin Heights @ Hopkins
South Christian @ Wyoming – WKTV Featured Game
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee – Hall of Fame Game
West Michigan Aviation @ Potter’s House
Holland Calvary @ Grand River Prep
Calvary Christian @ Zion Christian
West Michigan Lutheran @ Creative Technologies Academy
By WKTV Staff
Keep windows and curtains closed, if possible. Removing visual stimulation can really help.
