The best way to treat diseases is to prevent them in the first place. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay
Be sure to put vaccinations on your children’s back-to-school lists, whether they’re just starting school or heading off to college, experts say.
By protecting infants, children and teens from serious diseases, vaccinations also protect families, schools and communities.
“The best way to treat diseases is to prevent them in the first place, and the diseases on the vaccine schedule are all preventable for the vast majority of our population,” said David Kimberlin, vice chair of pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“The scientific evidence and public health statistics are comprehensive and compelling—properly scheduled and dosed vaccines are safe and effective, and they’re the reason we don’t see diseases like measles or whooping cough running rampant across our country,” Kimberlin said in a university news release.
Kimberlin is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ liaison to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee on immunization practices.
Immunization requirements vary by state. All have a minimum requirement for dosing each school year to attend public schools. Many require an updated immunization certificate before a child enters any public school or child care center.
Here’s what else you should know:
All 50 states and the District of Columbia require vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, polio, measles and rubella.
49 states and D.C. also require mumps vaccination.
48 states and D.C. require varicella (chickenpox) vaccination. (Montana and Pennsylvania do not).
45 states and D.C. require hepatitis B vaccination to enter kindergarten. (Alabama, Maine, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota do not).
Some states require Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type b); PCV (pneumococcal); flu and hepatitits A vaccines to enter kindergarten.
Insurance covers school vaccinations. If you don’t have insurance, your state health department can direct you to services that offer low-cost and/or free immunizations, said Dr. Rachael Lee, an assistant professor in the university’s division of infectious diseases.
Vaccinations are available at doctor offices, pharmacies, health centers and local health departments.
College students require specific vaccinations and should check with their school to learn which ones they need, university experts said.
Life-threatening infections such as meningococcal disease are more common among college-age people, but can be prevented through full vaccination, the experts said.
One of the most frequently asked questions Michigan Works! agencies hear is, “What do I do when I become unemployed and how do I get unemployment?” There are multiple steps to take with different organizations to qualify for benefits. Here’s a break-down of who you will be working with and how to get started with the process.
File for Unemployment with the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA): UIA is a division of the state government that makes decisions on who receives benefits and how much they will receive. You can file a claim on their website: unemployment.state.mi.us/ or by phone: 1-866-500-0017, TTY: 1-866-366-0004. You must follow their reporting requirements to maintain your benefits.
Register for Work: To qualify for unemployment, you then need to register for work. You will register in person with Michigan Works! and online with Pure Michigan Talent Connect (PMTC). Both of these organizations are there to help you search for jobs and prepare for a new career. They do not make decisions on who will receive unemployment benefits.
Step 1: You must visit a Michigan Works! service center, in person, to register. While you are there, talk to a staff member and find out what services you qualify for. They provide a variety of assistance for eligible job seekers. Services can range from help getting reliable transportation to training scholarships.
Step 2: You also need to create a PMTC account and profile online. PMTC is an online portal where you can search for jobs and upload your resume so employers can find you. They also offer assessments and career information to help you find a job that fits your skills and interests. Be sure to update your PMTC profile at least once every 30 days. This ensures your information will continue to be seen by employers.
West Michigan Works! has an online wizard for job seekers to help you create a check list to follow when you become unemployed. The checklist also includes additional steps and resources to help you find a new job. Visit http://jobs.westmiworks.org/get-started/ and answer a few quick questions to get your own personal checklist!
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
The dilemma is all too familiar: It’s Monday morning, you walk into your office and see that someone has left a big box of donuts in the break room. Then, your co-worker tells you there will be cake later for yet another birthday celebration.
One thing’s for sure. You’re not alone.
A new federal government survey found that about one-quarter of Americans “acquire” nearly 1,300 calories at work every week. Even worse, the survey only included foods people didn’t bring to work themselves, and food they didn’t purchase from outside vendors.
“The majority of the calories people got at work, people didn’t pay for—70 percent of the calories were free,” said study co-author Stephen Onufrak, an epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The food and beverages that were most commonly obtained at work, he said, were:
Coffee
Sugar-sweetened soft drinks
Sandwiches
Tea
Cookies
Brownies
French fries
Pizza
Salad
Water
Diet soft drinks
When the researchers looked at the foods by calories, pizza was the leading source of calories obtained at work, followed by sandwiches and regular soft drinks.
Onufrak said the foods obtained at work might have been lunch—some workplaces did have onsite cafeterias and foods purchased at an employee cafeteria were included in the survey.
The study included more than 5,200 people from a nationally representative group that completed a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey in 2012 and 2013. The volunteers answered questions about the foods they obtained at work over a seven-day period. They only reported food they acquired at work, and they didn’t say whether or not they ate the foods.
Onufrak said the survey didn’t ask about what people ate at home, so it’s hard to know for sure if they continued eating foods that were high in refined sugar, salt and empty calories once they left the office. But he said that based on other research he’s done, “a lot of the eating patterns we saw tend to be consistent.”
The findings show that employers have an opportunity to improve their workers’ health, he said.
“If you look at data on worksite wellness programs, they’re effective at getting people to have healthier behaviors, reducing health care costs and reducing absenteeism. I think encouraging a healthy diet is an essential part of a worksite wellness program,” Onufrak explained.
Nutritionist Samantha Heller noted that offering healthy fare could provide a benefit to employers, because employees who eat well “will feel better, will have more energy and can focus better.”
Heller, who’s with NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, added, “When we feed our bodies well, our bodies and brains respond. It’s a win-win for the company and the employees.”
But what if your workplace doesn’t offer healthy options? The best option may be to bring your own lunch, Heller suggested. That way, you’re in charge of what foods are available to you, and it saves you money.
If you don’t bring your own lunch, she said, you should do some scouting to see what healthy food choices are available around your workplace. And it’s a good idea to do this when you aren’t hungry.
And what about all those free sweets at work?
“People bring a lot of treats to work. People like to feed each other to show affection. But it’s OK to say no to the birthday cake or the brownies. It’s always going to be somebody’s birthday or another celebration. Decide ahead of time that you’re going to say no to treats at work,” Heller advised.
Onufrak is scheduled to present the findings at the American Society for Nutrition annual meeting in Boston. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
For help developing better eating habits, visit Spectrum Health Nutrition Counseling or schedule a personalized appointment by calling 616.391.1875.
By Brenda Long, Michigan State University Extension
Many older adults value a high quality of life that is directly tied to the ability to continue living independently. Independence depends on if the home continues to meet the older adult’s needs and whether they have a continued connection to daily services, based on a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University — Projections and Implications for Housing a Growing Population: Older Households 2015-2035. Let’s explore these decisions to help you devise a realistic strategy.
According to the Make the Most of Your Home’s Value lesson from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), there are some financial obligations to consider related to homeownership. Beyond any mortgage debt obligations, these include property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, utilities, homeowners association (HOA) fees, repairs and cost-of-living increases. Do you have adequate income and savings to cover these expenses? According to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), housing costs should be less than 31 percent of income to be affordable. However, an estimated 12 million renters and homeowners are cost burdened, paying more than 50 percent of their income on housing. It is recommended to pay off one’s mortgage before retirement, if possible. Also, it is critical to understand the income tax implications for annual deductions and home sale capital gains exclusion.
Other considerations are your values and lifestyle preferences. How do your priorities impact your decision to stay in your current housing or transition to a different situation? Think about these factors:
your social network
proximity to family, friends, and caregivers
access to transportation
weather/climate
closeness to health care services
mobility issues
family legacy and security
local income taxes and/or inheritance and estate taxes
whether or not your home can be modified
manageable home and yard maintenance
Programs from local and national organizations are available in Michigan to help repair single family homes. They include weatherization, repairs and improvements, and accessibility modifications to assist homeowners to stay in their homes.
Consider attending our free Retirement Planning online workshops held several times each year. The September series registration is https://events.anr.msu.edu/RetirementSept18/. Financial planning takes time, patience, and discipline. Find more information about financial and housing decisions at MIMoneyHealth.org.
The pending return of high school football and just completed local amateur boxing are both available as part of the August WKTV sports coverage offerings.
The high school football season is only a couple weeks away and WKTV’s coverage crew has its initial schedule, starting with opening night action at Godwin Heights High School as new head coach Brandon Kimble leads the Wolverines onto the field for the first time. (Don’t forget your sunglasses as the sun sets!)
WKTV will then be cover all the local football teams in the first six weeks, including Tri-Unity Christian’s 8-man football team, before we start covering the best game available in October.
The August football schedule includes: Thursday, Aug. 23: Hamilton at Godwin Heights; and Thursday, Aug. 30: Ashley at Tri-Unity Christian (8-man football at 5651 Gezon Court Wyoming.)
Youth boxing action was covered by the WKTV sports coverage crew. (Supplied/from previous event)
Until then, however, the recent Saturday Superstar Boxing will air on WKTV 25 on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 5 p.m. with a repeat on Sunday, Aug. 19, at noon.
These and other sports events are cable broadcast either live, immediately after the event and/or in rebroadcast, on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99.
WKTV’s featured football games on the night of the game (Thursday or Friday) at 11 p.m. and Saturday starting at 11 a.m. See WKTVjournal.org/sports weekly for complete feature broadcast schedules.
WKTV’s coverage of high school sports and select community events are also available on-demand within a week of the event at wktvondemand.com.
The complete local high school sports schedule through the end of the month is as follows:
The answer could be yes if you use the towel for many purposes, have a large family and are not a vegetarian, according to a new study of germs lurking on towels.
Forty-nine percent of the kitchen towels collected for the study were laden with bacteria, and the bacterial count increased with the number of family members and kids, researchers from the Indian Ocean island/nation of Mauritius reported.
“Cross-contamination is happening in the kitchen, and those bacteria could reach our food and cause food poisoning,” said lead researcher Susheela Biranjia-Hurdoyal. She is a senior lecturer in the department of health at the University of Mauritius.
Specifically, the researchers found that towels used for a variety of tasks—such as wiping utensils, drying hands, holding hot utensils or cleaning surfaces—had more bacteria than towels used for one task. In addition, damp towels had more bacteria than dry ones, the investigators found.
Of the 49 samples that were infested with bacteria, 37 percent had Escherichia coli (E. coli), 37 percent had Enterococcus, and 14 percent were infected with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
For the study, Biranjia-Hurdoyal and her colleagues sampled 100 kitchen towels that had been used for one month. They classified the types of bacteria on the towels and also how much bacteria was present.
Higher rates of S. aureus were found among low-income families and those with children, the findings showed. The risk for E. coli was higher in damp towels than dry ones, from towels used for several jobs rather than single-use ones, and from those used in non-vegetarian households.
Both E. coli and S. aureus were found at higher rates in families with non-vegetarian diets.
E. coli is a normal bacteria found in the intestine and is released in large numbers in human feces. S. aureus is a bacteria found in the respiratory tract.
The researchers’ advice? “Avoid humid and multi-usage towels,” Biranjia-Hurdoyal suggested.
Kevin Sauer is an associate professor of dietetics at Kansas State University College of Human Ecology in Manhattan, Kansas. He said, “The key advice is to remain attentive to food safety when preparing food in the home, which includes proper hand-washing, avoiding cross-contamination, and cooking and storing foods at the right temperatures.”
In a food-handling study he did in 2015, Sauer found that cloth towels were the most contaminated.
“However, even when provided with disposable single-use paper towels, participants were still observed using these in a way that led to additional contamination of contact surfaces,” he noted.
Sauer advised that people should avoid using towels in place of hand-washing, because they can easily become contaminated with harmful germs from raw meat and poultry juices.
“Furthermore, reusing contaminated towels to wipe hands or other surfaces can easily lead to cross-contamination, and therefore should not be reused throughout meal preparation, since they too can contribute to contamination of hands, surfaces or other food products,” Sauer said.
Findings from the study were scheduled for presentation at the American Society for Microbiology meeting, in Atlanta. The findings should be considered preliminary because they have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
According to Jessica Corwin, MPH, RDN, community nutrition educator for Spectrum Health Healthier Communities, and Kristi Veltkamp, an outpatient dietitian at Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, we should all follow these key tips to avoid cross-contamination:
Always wash your hands with soap and water before preparing or handling food.
Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood securely wrapped to prevent any juices from contaminating prepared dishes and raw foods.
Take time to rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water. Scrub any firm-skinned produce with a vegetable brush.
Avoid re-using towels, platters or utensils that were used with raw meats.
Corwin urges people to follow food safety precautions, even if they ignored them in the past and didn’t feel any ill effects.
Not everyone responds to infections the same way. Those most at risk of serious complications include small children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
By Beth Clawson, Michigan State University Extension
Michigan is home to more than 1.3 million onsite wastewater treatment systems. Most are for single family homes that include a septic system. Indeed, the onsite wastewater treatment system including a septic tank and soil absorption field is the most common domestic wastewater treatment system in rural homes in the United States. In Michigan, it is estimated that 10 percent of these systems are in some level of malfunction or have failed.
Malfunctioning and failed onsite waste water systems make our ground and surface waters susceptible to fecal contamination. Several rivers in the Lower Peninsula have been tested during low-flow conditions and were found to contain genetic markers indicating the presence of human fecal matter. This contamination can come from leaky septic systems. Keeping septic systems in good repair can protect Michigan’s water quality.
Rural homes in Michigan include onsite wastewater systems that require regular maintenance. Maintenance and inspection of your system depends upon its size, the number of people that live in the home and what county you live in. Michigan is the last state to still adopt uniform onsite wastewater regulations. Lack of uniform statewide laws leaves regulation and inspection laws up to local officials through county health departments and districts. This means that rules for onside wastewater system laws vary between counties.
Most counties have a sale transfer ordinance requiring septic tank inspections but few have the same or similar size and installation regulations. Most ordinances cite the average of pumping and inspecting recommendation of every three years for a family of four. Many also require inspection of newly installed systems. None return a year or two later to ensure that the system is functioning properly.
An onsite wastewater system typically consists of three basic parts:
The drain waste pipes from the house into a septic tank;
The septic or settling tank, sometimes divided in half with a baffle; and
The dispersion box and soil absorption or drain field.
Waste water flows from the toilets, laundry and sinks in the home through the drain pipes to the septic tank. The septic tank, made of solid cast concrete (in most cases) has an inlet and an outlet for effluent. Once the waste enters the tank the solids settle to the bottom to decompose and become the sludge layer. Effluent water is in the middle and the lighter grease and soaps float to the top to create the scum layer. The effluent water flows out through a pipe to the drain field. Newer tanks sometimes contain a baffle creating a second settling area before water is released to the soil absorption field. Michigan State University Extension’s webpage on Septic systems gives more detail on this topic.
If the sludge is not pumped out on a regular basis then the layer gets thick allowing solids to flow into the drain field. This plugs and compacts in the drain tiles and the soil causing failure. Many times people think that this is a sign that the septic is full, and indeed it is but it is also a failure. Drain field failure requires soil removal and replacement and can become an expensive repair. This is one of the most common failures. Other common causes of septic failure include tanks collapsing from being driven or parked on; tree roots; excessive water from parties or heavy rains; pipes clogged from flushing items other than toilet paper such as, feminine products and personal sanitary wipes; biological processes stopped from over use of chlorine or antibiotic soaps.
If you are experiencing sewage waste backup into your house from your septic tank this may indicate a total blockage of the tank and drain field and could indicate a costly repair or replacement. Regular inspections and pumping can prevent expensive repairs later. Just as it is recommended to regularly inspect our cars and furnaces, we should also inspect and clean out our onsite waste water systems. The average recommendation is every three years for a typical family home with three bedrooms equipped with a 1000 gallon tank. It’s important to know the size of your septic tank.
Older homes may have smaller tanks. Smaller tanks need to be pumped more often. For example, if a three-bedroom home has a 900-gallon septic tank with six people living there, they should schedule their pumping for every one and one half to two years to avoid failure. If a home uses a garbage disposal, consider that they are increasing the amount of solids (pre-digestion) going into the tank. This home will require more frequent pumping.
Concrete, plastic and fiberglass tanks are not infallible, lots of things can cause the material to fail resulting in collapse. Inspectors look at the integrity of your system. Fractures caused by frost/freeze break up, ground heaves, earthquakes, manufacturer defect, burrowing animals, and tree roots all have an impact on our systems. Michigan DEQ does have a guide on subsurface onsite wastewater treatment systems but its recommendations are not enforceable by law. Michigan County Environmental Health departments have laws, consult your County for its recommendations for onsite waste water system maintenance.
For more in depth information the National Environmental Services Center, West Virginia University has a good publication that includes a time table in years for pumping recommendations at http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/ww/septic/pl_fall04.pdf.
If you want to learn more there are videos available: Click here for a short video (under five minutes) about onsite wastewater septic systems, or click here for a longer training video (about 110 minutes) about onsite wastewater septic systems.
For more information about and water quality contact Beth Clawson, MSU Extension Educator. To learn more about onsite waste water treatment septic tanks, contact Michigan State University Extension Natural Resources educators who are working across Michigan to provide water quality and septic tank maintenance educational programming and assistance. You can contact an educator through MSU Extension’s “Find an Expert” search tool using the keywords “Natural Resources Water Quality.”
The internet is full of job search tips. Weeding through the clutter can be time-consuming. How do you know which ones to trust? We’ve pulled together our favorite job search tips – all in one place – just for you. Bookmark this page for yourself, a friend or family member to reference while job searching.
Summer is in full swing here here in Michigan, and aside from the warm days and clear skies, summer means that the kids are out of school. Whether they’re around the corner or coming for a special visit, spending quality time with your grandkids is a great way to enjoy the season, and there are so many options for fun activities that everyone can enjoy. Having an itinerary for good weather and bad is essential for any grandparent, but which activities should be added to the list of must do’s? Here are 6 ideas for summer fun with the grandkids!
Rock Painting
Rock painting is a fun activity perfect for all ages. It’s also inexpensive, as most of us can find buckets of rocks in our backyard. Art projects are fun for everyone, but there’s more value in getting creative than just enjoyment: kids get to be expressive and work on problem-solving skills, and everyone gets a lasting keepsake from the visit.
There’s no right or wrong way to do rock painting. Just find any rocks, large or small, then wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt or sand on the surface. Acrylic paints are easy to find, washable, and dry quickly–just be sure to seal it with a spray sealant to make sure that your craft stays vibrant.
Baking
We all know how Michigan weather can be. One minute it’s a bright sunny day, and the next it’s a gloomy downpour. Baking is the perfect activity to make the most of less-than-perfect weather.
The family recipes will forever hold a place in your grandkids hearts, and passing along recipes is a meaningful way to make memories. But you can also consider mixing it up a bit with a more unconventional recipe. For example, kids love the creativity and silliness involved in making kitchen sink cookies. They consist of whatever you have lying around: nuts, candies, spices–the options are limitless. This is a great way to get your grandkids engaged and thinking creatively. You might end up with peanut butter and mint cookies with Cheerios on top, but you’ll have a blast bonding with your grandkids. Just remember, it’s best to make small batches.
Picnics
Everyone loves a good picnic. Getting away and eating a meal outside is a break in most people’s usual day-to-day, and they’re so easy to organize. Try picking a spot that’s near a nature walk or in a park. After you are done eating you can play and explore until your heart’s content.
Visiting an animal shelter
Visiting an animal shelter is another excellent rainy day activity. Many shelters have rooms for kids, under supervision, to interact and play with cats or dogs. Some shelters will even let you walk the animals. This serves a dual purpose: animals are socialized and more likely to make good pets, and your grandkids will have a blast interacting with them. Visiting animal shelters is also a valuable educational experience. It’s a way to build empathy towards animals, and inspire kids to give back to their communities.
Science experiments
Doing science experiments with your grandkids is educational and fun. It’s important to always keep children engaged with learning, even over the summer, and easy science projects are a great way to get them interested. There is nothing more memorable than watching their faces as they light up with wonder and amazement from a toilet paper rocket blasting off.
There are many science kits you can buy online or at the store, but you don’t have to spend a lot to create exciting projects. There are countless DIY experiments you find online. For example, try putting an egg in vinegar and watch as it dissolves the shell. Learn more about how plants grow by putting celery stalks in colored water. Or, you can always do the classic Mentos in diet soda trick to make an explosion–just put safety first, and be ready for some sticky clean-up!
Making jam
Michigan is full of amazing orchards and farms with a ‘pick your own’ option available. The summer offers a variety of fruit to choose from. The most popular ones include strawberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries. Native Michigan fruits are a delicious treat when eaten fresh, but you can make them into another fun, educational activity by creating jams and preserves. Everything tastes better homemade, and jams are no exception. They’ll get to see the process from start to finish and bring home a sample of their work.
In the summer months, explore different ways you to connect with your grandkids. Michigan has an endless supply of grandchild-friendly activities, meaning long summer days filled with endless smiles and continuous laughter. These are the precious memories that last a lifetime.
Service dogs may help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in military veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder, a new study finds.
For the study, researchers compared a group of veterans with PTSD who had a service dog to a group of veterans on the waitlist to receive one.
“Our previous research suggests that the presence of a service dog reduced clinical PTSD symptoms and improved quality of life,” said study co-leader Maggie O’Haire. She is an assistant professor of human-animal interaction at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in West Lafayette, Ind.
“In this study, we wanted to determine if those beneficial effects also included changes in the physiology of stress,” O’Haire said in a university news release.
The researchers focused on cortisol, a biomarker involved in the stress response system, and one that is detected through saliva.
According to study co-leader Kerri Rodriguez, “military veterans with a service dog in the home produced more cortisol in the mornings than those on the wait list.”
Rodriguez explained that “this pattern is closer to the cortisol profile expected in healthy adults without PTSD.”
In addition, “having a service dog was also associated with less anger, less anxiety and better sleep,” she noted. Rodriguez is a human-animal interaction graduate student.
The findings are the first of their kind and offer insight into how service dogs may provide mental health benefits to veterans with PTSD, according to the study authors.
The researchers are now conducting a large-scale, long-term U.S. National Institutes of Health clinical trial comparing veterans with service dogs to those without.
The report was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Benefits of owning a dog:
Fight heart disease. Owning a dog has a positive impact on blood pressure, which is one of the main factors in heart attack and stroke, according to Thomas Boyden, MD, MS, Spectrum Health program director of preventive cardiology. The American Heart Association reports a link between pet ownership and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies also show you’ll be more likely to survive a heart attack if you have a dog.
Relieve stress. “Being around pets, and dogs in particular, actually changes your body at a hormonal level,” Jared Skillings, PhD, ABPP, Spectrum Health chief of psychology said. Of course, it’s not a cure-all. “Getting a dog won’t cure depression or clinical anxiety, but it certainly can help.”
Reduce loneliness. Dogs provide unconditional love. They’re caring, excited to see you and glad to be by your side. Need to talk? “Dogs are good listeners and they’re not going to argue with you,” Dr. Skillings said.
Improve sociability. There’s also the added benefit of the camaraderie among dog owners. “Having a dog can connect people to other pet owners, which can reduce isolation, too,” Dr. Skillings said.
Inspire exercise. A study published in the journal BMC Public Health said the average dog owner walks 22 minutes more per day than those who don’t own a dog. Daily walks have lots of added benefits, from controlling chronic conditions to burning weight and improving moods.
Add purpose. Having a dog or any other pet can give you a reason to get going in the morning. Size doesn’t matter. In fact, cats, horses and birds can all have a similar effect. Even tiny pets—hamsters, mice, fish, insects—can imbue you with a sense of purpose. In one study, elderly people were asked to care for a cage of five crickets. After eight weeks, the people who had the crickets in their homes were less depressed and had better cognitive function than those in the control group.
The City of Kentwood announced today that Kalamazoo Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street is slated to be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2 while the road receives a joint repair treatment.
The MSU Extension Master Gardener Program changes lives. Committed to improving the quality of life in Michigan through horticulture-based volunteerism and beautifying communities throughout the state, the program provides instruction in basic, research-based horticulture science to motivated and active gardeners through an adult (18 years or older) educational program offered by MSU Extension. More info here.
We’ve been fed alternative facts: There is no such thing as multi-tasking. You’re not doing two things at once, you’re switching back and forth. And if you have three or four or five things going, your performance suffers.
Your little one’s first day back to school isn’t that far off. Now is the time to think about new strategies for a productive school year. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Sue Gunnink, Spectrum Health Beat
It’s always difficult transitioning from the laid-back summer schedule to the hectic schedule of the school year.
It usually takes a good month or so to get back into the groove, at least to where you feel confident everyone in your household is back on track.
And once you’ve gotten into the groove again, don’t you wish you could keep it going all year long? Wouldn’t it be great to keep everything running smoothly ’til next June?
It just so happens that a few handy tips can keep your family functioning like a well-oiled machine, at least when it comes to nutrition and meal preparation.
We all know that one of the best tools in the toolbox is the lunchbox.
Here’s how to keep your meals on track all year long:
Pack ahead
Pack lunches the night before to avoid the rush in the morning. This gives you more time to plan meals, which increases the chances you’ll select nutritious foods. Have your kids get involved in the lunch packing, too. They’re more likely to eat the food in their lunch when they’re involved in the process.
Be a portion pro
To simplify lunch preparation, cut your fruit into individual portions for the week. For example: If you have three kids and want them to have fruit each day of the week, you can cut 15 containers of fruit on Sunday night.
Get stocked and ready
For after-school snacks, consider stocking healthier items that are easy to grab, such as trail mix, unbuttered popcorn, or peanut butter on sliced apples or pears.
Coordinate schedules
Plan dinners in advance. On Sunday night, take a moment to survey your family’s schedule for the coming the week, identifying nights that involve sports practice, school activities, special events and so forth. Plan the meals accordingly. Consider having one night where your child is responsible for coming up with a meal.
Prep and freeze
Consider preparing and freezing meals well in advance. Once every few months, you can make a large batch of a particular food item, such as lasagna, then divide it into dinner portions. These can be frozen and labeled for easy use later on.
Are you interested in learning more about balanced nutrition? Schedule a personalized appointment with a Spectrum Health registered dietitian or call 616.391.1875 to register for a group class series.
Photo of Daniel Miraval by Abbey Miller, Michigan State University Extension
ByAbbey Miller, Michigan State University Extension
Twenty-seven years ago, the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Master Gardener Program changed Daniel Miraval’s life.
“I was an at-risk youth from the southwest side of Detroit and was given a scholarship to attend a Master Gardener Program, which I successfully completed,” Miraval said. “That program led me into an amazing 26-year-career in horticulture and arboriculture.”
“For me it was the first opportunity to actually engage in an advanced training related to my job which was in the green industry. I learned the basic building blocks and foundation of horticulture and arboriculture. Upon realizing that it was actually a learnable discipline, it was then I decided to stick with it as a career. It would be much later that I used that to make it a profession.”
The MSU Extension Master Gardener Program is an adult horticulture education and volunteer leader program committed to improving the quality of life in Michigan through horticulture-based volunteerism and beautifying communities throughout the state. The program provides instruction in basic, research-based horticulture science to motivated and active gardeners through an adult (18 years or older) educational program offered by MSU Extension. Once trained, Master Gardeners educate others in the community about environmentally and economically sound practices through horticulture-based volunteer activities.
In 1991 at 19 years old, Miraval did not have a clear picture of what he wanted to do. He struggled in school, eventually dropping out, and he had been in trouble with the law as a juvenile. Miraval needed a job and applied for a position at Marvin’s Gardens, a small landscape company, owned by Marvin Welch Jr.
“I’ve always said that the green industry saved my life,” Miraval said. “Had I not been given this opportunity, I may very well not have ended up as successful and accomplished as I have or be dead or in jail or prison.”
Shortly after starting at Marvin’s Gardens, Miraval realized that he had an affinity for and wanted to pursue a career in landscaping because as he says, “landscaping leaves a lasting mark.”
Welch showed an interest in Miraval’s progress and suggested Miraval take a Master Gardener class.
“He gave me a phone number for the Master Gardener Program,” Miraval said. “I called, they said the price and it was beyond my ability to pay.”
However, there was a hardship scholarship program. Welch advised Miraval to tell his story in a letter of application for the scholarship.
Miraval received the scholarship and attended the Master Gardener class. Looking back, Miraval recalls this class was one of the first major commitments he had ever made in his life.
“I was intimidated by Michigan State University in the title of the class,” Miraval said. “I didn’t graduate high school, but now was doing something with MSU.”
“The Master Gardener course provided me with the opportunity to explore the industry and guide me — it saved my life. I would not have put into practice follow-through and commitment. That was my first lesson. Taking the class opened doors for me. It also reaffirmed the fact that being broke is economic, but being poor is a debilitating state of mind. It taught me that when you do find success, you use it as a tool.
“I still refer to the Master Gardener curriculum from time to time,” he said. “The foundation of what I have learned as an arborist is in here [the Master Gardener curriculum] and whoever provided the funding that let me participate 27 years ago, when I had nothing, saved my life.”
Miraval credits the MSU Master Gardener program for helping people like him, who may not have succeeded in traditional education platforms, still attain levels of industry professionalism. He gives full recognition of his success today to where becoming a professional began for him in Welch’s class.
Following the class, Welch continued to serve as Miraval’s first mentor, but certainly was not his last mentor.
“Marvin said I should work for a nursery – a big one. Vidosh was one of those he suggested,” Miraval said.
During a job interview, Miraval recalled that Bruce White, Vidosh Landscape Center owner and operator and MSU horticulture graduate, asked what his 3- to 5-year plan was. Miraval told him he wanted to be like White. Miraval was offered the job where he continued to learn more about the green industry.
“Bruce was the one who recognized my passion for wanting to be a better person and to be part of a winning team,” Miraval said. “He was the one who taught me about hard work and following through with everything you set out to do. He really took me under his wing with the specific intention of recreating me. He became my mentor a month after I graduated from the Master Gardener class when I walked into his office, certificate and test score in hand, looking for more than a job but an opportunity. He served as a mentor for 19 years.”
Miraval then met White’s brother, Wayne White, owner of Emerald Tree Care LLC and MSU forestry graduate.
“Wayne has been a mentor of increasing involvement for the last 10 years, but his influence, commitment to my success and leaving a legacy has been an intense focus for the last 5 years. He is a true champion of mine and how my taking the steps and action to become a Master Gardener showed my passion for the green industry but more importantly it showed my determination to better myself by utilizing whatever means necessary and for me the first step was the Master Gardener Program.
“I think the bottom line is these mentors all taught me the basics of self-motivation, follow-through, work ethic and taking action,” Miraval said. “That seems to be what the Master Gardener Program scholarship contained. Being made available by some endowment I would imagine. I wish I could find out who those people were, and if they are still around, so I could personally thank each one of them. They believed in me without even knowing who I was. I want them to know that the program was a success for me and thank them. Every program needs metrics to prove its worth. I really don’t know what else to say other than thank you and the Master Gardener Program was like a magic carpet.”
Miraval continues to be surrounded by mentors that encourage his success and teach him lessons to live by. As he pursues Advanced Credentials in the Green Industry, he came in contact with Steve Martinko of Contenders Tree and Lawn, LLC from White Lake, Michigan. Steve has been a friend and mentor that has helped Miraval plan for the next ten years in his business.
Today, Miraval is a certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and a co-owner of Green Extraction Technologies LLC, based near Chicago. They specialize in root collar excavation, corrective pruning and provide contract digging services for nurseries and specialized plant health care for residents, homeowner associations, municipalities and other organized properties. Among Miraval’s clients are Virginia farms Ingleside Plantation Nurseries, located on over 2,500 acres with 1,000 acres of nursery production, and White House Natives, LLC, dedicated to growing and harvesting 96 different species of native plant materials on their 25 acre site.
In addition to being a professional ISA member, Miraval serves on the Chicago Region Trees Initiative Tree Risk Management work group and is an Openlands TreeKeeper. He is also a member of the Tree Care Industry Association and the Illinois Arborist Association, of which he is a current board nominee. He is a certified tree safety person (CTSP), a certified Illinois pesticide applicator and an Illinois real estate agent.
“When I decided to become a an ISA–certified arborist, I reached back to the Master Gardener Program in respect to compartmentalizing how again this daunting advanced studying I wanted to do was similar to the Master Gardener Program. The information is there, it’s well presented and laid out, and all you have to do is apply yourself and inject your passion, and success is imminent.
“I hope my story inspires someone else or at least the people who make the policies that make these programs possible so they continue to fund them.
“The green industry is a very powerful industry in many ways. Trees are life. They saved mine and now I save theirs.”
In a tech-centric world, it’s tough on the brain to focus on any one thing as it’s bombarded with data. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Don Shell, Spectrum Health Beat
It was another typically busy day.
In between testing patients, Michael Lawrence, PhD, ABPP-CN, a clinical neuropsychologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group, found himself answering instant messages and emails, grabbing a quick lunch, calling AT&T about his cell phone bill, racing to Blodgett Hospital for a meeting, and reading an article a certain Health Beat reporter had sent him for an interview.
If that sounds all-too familiar to you, you’re not alone. But if you think you’re multitasking, what you’re really doing is kidding yourself, Dr. Lawrence said.
“We all have to do it to some extent,” he said. “But we know multitasking is a misnomer. We have to be aware that you’re not doing two things at work, you’re switching back and forth. If we have three or four or five things, our performance suffers.
“The problem is, we don’t know how to deal with technology. We’re bombarded by things.”
Our cell phone addictions are doing more than stifling our real-world social lives: they’re stifling our creativity, too, Dr. Lawrence said.
“We used to think that different parts of the brain were responsible for controlling different abilities, but what we’ve learned with recent advances in neuroscience is that actually your brain is networked together,” he said. “The Default Mode Network, the DMN, actually encompasses the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. That’s the part of the brain that turns on when you’re at a resting state. And studies have shown that creativity is increased when you do nothing at all first.
There’s an app for that
New app helps track your cell phone addiction.
Are you addicted to your cell phone? If you’re like a growing number of Americans, the answer is probably yes – and it’s likely worse than you thought.
Enter the new app called Moment, which can track just how often you check your messages, emails, Facebook or anything else.
You can even set daily limits on yourself and force yourself off your device when you’re over your limit.
“It’s the last thing you look at before you go to bed, and the first thing you wake up to,” Dr. Lawrence said. “That’s why this Moment app is so interesting. I don’t think people realize how addicted they are to their phones.”
“When you’re doing too much at once, this area of the brain is burning too much energy, and your capacity to do any one thing suffers.”
This flies in the face of the common belief that things such as music can help increase focus and productivity, Dr. Lawrence said, but that doesn’t mean people can’t juggle tasks at all.
“I think you can do two things at once, but the problem is, you don’t do any one thing as well,” he explained. “The research says the quieter the environment, the more sterile, the better you do. People say they focus better with music, but your brain has to turn on to process music, and if it’s expending energy to process music, that’s energy it’s not using on whatever else you’re doing.”
The multitasking myth isn’t age-specific, either.
“They talk about kids with video games, but I think adults are even worse,” he said. “I went to a meeting the other day and everyone was on their cell phone. They say technology is making everybody ADD. It makes our lives better in some way, but at what cost? There has to be some moderation.”
Dr. Lawrence said he has a simple way to fight the anxiety of overstimulation.
“We all have that feeling, when we’re being pulled in a million different directions,” he said. “When I do it, I realize it and get anxious. What’s the first thing I do? I turn off everything–my cell phone and email–and create a checklist of the things I need to do. That helps me focus and prioritize what I need to do.”
The bottom line, says Dr. Lawrence, “We have to learn to adapt, because technology isn’t going away.”
Apprenticeships have long played a major role in training America’s skilled workers, combining classroom learning, on-the-job training and wages that increase as skills are learned. Apprentices not only get paid while learning the skills for a high-demand job, they earn a nationally recognized industry certification.
With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why many job seekers are looking for apprenticeship opportunities.
What do employers look for in an apprentice?
Apprentices go to school for 2-4 years while working full time; they need to balance work, school and life. Employers are looking for individuals who are willing to commit to the process, are dependable, have a positive work ethic and a willingness to learn.
How can I find an apprenticeship opportunity?
Most often, employers with apprenticeship programs enter existing workers into their programs instead of hiring someone to enter directly into the program.
Custom Profile, a manufacturer in Grand Rapids, is one of many West Michigan employers who use apprenticeships to train their workforce.
“Our apprenticeship programs allow us to give our employees something really valuable: a chance to learn new skills,” said Jenny Redes, human resources manager at Custom Profile.
You can find employers in your area with apprenticeship programs by searching Career One Stop. Once you’ve identified employers with programs, check job search websites like indeed.com or mitalent.org to see if they have any openings. Apply for an entry-level position, express your interest in an apprenticeship and then show them that you’re worth investing in!
“One of our employees has been with us for twenty years. Through apprenticeship, he was able to get the skills needed to move up within the company,” Redes said. “We were so excited to see him take advantage of this opportunity!”
Occasionally, West Michigan Works! will have a cohort-style apprenticeship program, such as the Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship program. Check jobs.westmiworks.org for current opportunities and application periods.
Or visit a West Michigan Works! service center and ask to meet with a talent development specialist. They can help you with job search, resume writing, interviewing skills and connections with potential employers.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
By Spectrum Health Beat Staff; photos by Chris Clark
Imagine snoozing comfortably at home while your bed measures your heart rate and breathing—and enters those vital signs into your medical record.
Imagine tapping an app on your smartphone when you want to ask your doctor about a new symptom.
As health care technology gets smarter—and more personal—patients will find new ways to monitor their medical conditions and connect with medical experts.
Spectrum Health staff got a glimpse of products under development recently at an open house organized by Spectrum Health Innovations. Two companies involved in the Seamless Accelerator, a collaboration of startups and industry leaders, displayed their new devices to get reaction from the experts.
A bed that communicates
Hoana Medical, a Honolulu-based company, showed off its LifeBed system, a mattress coverlet embedded with sensors that measure vital signs. It detects heart and respiration rates—and can indicate whether the patient is in bed.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Staff can view the data at a central nursing station or on a handheld device, such as a smartphone.
The device aims to eliminate the need to attach sensors, electrodes, cuffs and other monitoring equipment directly to the patient, said Edward Chen, president and chief operating officer of Hoana.
“I think in a med-surg world it could be beneficial to have this continuous monitoring available,” said Liz Schulte, an inpatient nursing supervisor at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.
A rise in breathing or heart rate could indicate a patient is experiencing more pain, for example, prompting the nurse to check in. Or it might signal that a confused patient is becoming agitated, perhaps planning to get out of bed to use the bathroom.
“We can go in there and proactively act on that,” Schulte said. “A bed alarm is good only once a patient gets out of bed.”
The smartphone connection would be a big plus, she added. It would allow a nurse to view vital signs for a number of patients from any location.
The LifeBed system plugs directly into the wall, but also can operate wirelessly.
“It simplifies the process of having to move monitors,” Chen said. “It has been tested in ambulances and helicopters. Imagine deploying it for large-scale emergency triage on stretchers.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
The version displayed at Spectrum Health is intended for use in the medical-surgical, acute care or home care settings. A steady stream of nurses, doctors and therapists filed through the two-hour open house. Some tried out apps and lay on the LifeBed, watching their vital signs appear on a smartphone screen.
“I really thought the vital sign communication with electronic capability was great,” said Laura McPherson, pediatric lead therapist in respiratory care at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
The system would be even better, she said, if it could be converted to a hardback surface, which would be useful in reviving a patient in cardiac arrest.
“This could be the total package,” she said.
A doctor-patient app
Friendly Health Technologies of San Ramon, California, presented information on software and apps that connect patients with their doctor or other medical care providers.
Patients could log in to the app on a tablet or smartphone to report common illnesses.
The app asks a series of follow-up questions, using evidence-based guidelines, and enters the information into the individual’s medical record. The physician or care provider can then prescribe medication or request a face-to-face visit.
The company would adapt the software for different medical specialties, tweaking the questions to match the issues patients are likely to report.
“I’d like to see it in action,” Ginny Richards, a Spectrum Health Medical Group nurse educator, said of the telemedicine app. “It might have good potential for families that are reluctant to call.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Customer validation is “an absolute necessity in product development,” said Brent Mulder, PhD, senior director of Spectrum Health Innovations. “If they get that extremely valuable feedback, it can validate their current course of action or cause a course correction.”
Spectrum Health is one of seven partners in the Seamless Accelerator, a collaboration that gives entrepreneurs access to industry expertise while offering experts the chance to influence the direction of next-generation devices.
About enhancing health
The evolving health care technology field encompasses a number of user-friendly apps and gadgets in development that will make it easier for patients to stay on top of their health care, said Eric Topol, MD, the author of several books, including “The Patient Will See You Now: The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands.”
They include:
A bandage that monitors how a wound is healing and delivers medication when needed
A ring that detects when a patient is asleep or awake and can be used in at-home sleep studies
A tiny device that measures blood sugar levels—without a needle poke or drop of blood. Someday, Dr. Topol predicts, “Fingersticks for glucose will be obsolete.”
Already on the market is an ear scope that attaches to a smartphone. When parents suspect their child has an ear infection, they can capture a video of the inside of the child’s ears and send it to the doctor for diagnosis.
Consumer-focused “on-demand medicine” can mean more efficient care, Topol said at a recent speaking engagement. Research shows the average wait for a doctor’s appointment is 2.6 weeks. And once they arrive at the office, patients wait, on average, 61 minutes.
By communicating electronically with their doctor or running basic tests with their smart phone, patients can save time and often rest comfortably at home when they aren’t feeling well.
“It’s really about enhancing the health of humans,” he said.
Learn more about new forms of health care technology at Spectrum Health Innovations and to learn about e-doctor appointments, visit the MedNow website or call 844.322.7374.
Are you looking for that extra burst of energy in the middle of the day? How about your teenagers? Are you or your teenagers consuming energy drinks? Frequently, parents question how safe energy drinks are, especially for teenagers.
Caffeine Content of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks contain caffeine and may contain other stimulants such as taurine and guarana. According to the Mayo Clinic, excess caffeine consumption can lead to irritability, nervousness, insomnia, an increase in heart rate and increased blood pressure. Caffeine consumption can be harmful for children with certain health risks. Another reason for concern is that the amount of caffeine in each type of drink varies considerably and the caffeine content may not be listed on the beverage container. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides a listing of caffeine content by specific energy drinks that shows caffeine content varying from 70 mg. to over 200 mg. per eight ounces. The AAP has also recommended that children and adolescents should avoid energy drinks altogether.
Calories from Energy Drinks
Energy drinks and other sugary beverages, like soda, add extra calories without other important nutrients that children and teens need for growth. For example, one popular energy drink contains 130 calories and 34 grams of carbohydrates in an 8.3 ounce serving. These calories and carbs in an energy drink are higher than a cola. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Report 2017 (NHANES) found that only 33 percent of youth ages two through 19 met the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for American recommendations to limit added sugars intake to less than 10 percent of total calories. With the higher prevalence of obesity in the United States, reducing sugar consumption is an important strategy towards achieving and maintaining a healthier weight.
Better Beverage choices
In order to avoid consuming caffeine and other stimulants from energy drinks and soda with added sugars, find other ways to quench thirst and to energize. Of course, water is the best choice when it comes to quenching thirst. Try adding fresh fruit slices, such as lemon or orange, to keep it interesting for kids. Low-fat milk and diluted fruit juices are also nutrient-rich choices. Limiting added sugars is recommended in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. Consumption of beverages with added sugars can easily increase sugar intake above 10 percent of calories, which makes it difficult to achieve a healthy eating pattern.
Choose movement to increase energy
Physical activity increases our energy levels and burns calories too. The next time your children or teens are feeling tired in the middle of the afternoon, think carefully before reaching for an energy drink. Instead, suggest a short walk. Physical activity increases blood flow and results in feeling more energetic.
This alien-looking blob was found attached to a pontoon boat. Photo by C. Daly.
By Jo Latimore, Michigan State University Extension
As an aquatic ecologist at Michigan State University who works closely with Michigan State University Extension, I receive a lot of emails and phone calls about mysterious or unusual discoveries in Michigan lakes. I enjoy responding to them, because it gives me a chance to chat with Michigan residents about all sorts of interesting aquatic phenomena.
This story begins with one of those messages. A boat owner pulled their pontoon out of Juno Lake (Cass County, in southern Michigan), and discovered a weird, alien-looking, gelatinous blob attached to it below the water line. Was it an invasive species? Toxic algae? Eggs of an alien from outer space!? They contacted a friend on a neighboring lake who happens to be a volunteer in our statewide Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, and she reached out to me with a photo and inquiry about the aquatic oddity. I was excited to let her know that they’d discovered a colony of bryozoans!
Meet the bryozoans — tiny aquatic organisms that live in colonies. They are filter-feeders, relying on floating bits of food in the water for nourishment. You can view the waving tentacles of a microscopic bryozoan individual on this video. There are many saltwater species of bryozoans, but only a few are native to freshwater lakes. The freshwater bryozoan species that makes blob-like colonies is Pectinatella magnifica. These colonies often form attached to structures like rocks, logs, and — as was the case in Juno Lake — on boats left in the water for a while. Colonies begin to form in the spring, and are most frequently noticed in late summer and fall, when they reach their largest size. Colonies are usually only a few inches across, but can grow to a foot wide or more in the right conditions.
Bryozoan colonies attached to the underside of a pontoon boat pulled from Juno Lake, Cass County, Michigan. Bryozoans are harmless, tiny, filter-feeding aquatic invertebrates that can form jelly-like colonies on solid surfaces. Photo by L. Mroczek.
Still, most Michigan residents have never seen a bryozoan colony before, since they are underwater and often small in size. It’s not surprising, then, that these jelly-like, alien-looking blobs raise concern and worry when they are spotted. Luckily, these native species are harmless to humans (although they do occasionally clog pipes). Even better, they are indicators of good water quality, since they depend on healthy waters to survive.
To learn more about freshwater bryozoans, check out the Missouri Department of Conservation’s excellent web article. If you find an aquatic oddity in Michigan and aren’t sure what it is, take a picture or two and post it using the Ask an Expert link on the Michigan State University Extension website.
Take precautions before and after entering the pool to stay healthy. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Susan Hollman Krieger, Spectrum Health Beat
You know that sign at the entryway of your local pool that asks you to shower before entering the water? Do it.
And then make sure to shower again after you are done swimming for the day. You may be saving yourself and other swimmers a miserable summertime bout of diarrhea.
According to the CDC, although both E. coli and norovirus are eliminated by chlorine and other chemicals used in pools, cryptosporidium survives for up to 10 days. People who have or who recently had diarrhea can carry the parasite into the pool, exposing other swimmers. They, in turn, develop diarrhea a few days later.
So is the answer to stay out of swimming pools and head for one of Michigan’s beautiful lakes?
Not necessarily, said George Fogg, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist with Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
“This parasite has always been around in our pools. It only receives attention when there is an outbreak of cases in a water park or in a community, for example, when cryptosporidium got into the Milwaukee municipal water supply,” Dr. Fogg explained. “The two most common parasites that can cause diarrhea are giardia and cryptosporidium and they have been around for a long time. We are seeing more incidences lately because we are doing a better job of detecting and reporting the cause of these intestinal disorders.”
Dr. Fogg said that swimmers developing diarrhea after being in a pool is still “very uncommon. You have a greater risk of getting norovirus on a cruise ship than getting cryptosporidium in a swimming pool—it is very rare.”
He recommends that swimmers who do experience diarrhea inform their health provider, although they will likely see the condition “self-correct” within a few days.
While there isn’t currently a chemical that is both safe to use in a pool and that would kill the parasite, Dr. Fogg said that taking normal precautions will help swimmers stay healthy.
Avoid ingesting any pool water. “That is how it gets into your system.”
Shower before and after swimming. “Soap can remove the spores from your skin and prevent you from inadvertently ingesting them through touch.”
Stay out of the pool if you have a compromised immune system. “That is who we really worry about—people who have other health conditions who are particularly vulnerable to parasites.”
All in all, Dr. Fogg said not to let unnecessary worry about what’s in the water curtail your traditional summer activities.
School garden advocates have multiple anecdotes that they can share to illustrate the value of including experiential garden education in curriculum and educational programs. They talk about how their students are more engaged, more willing to interact with the subject matter, more likely to eat the food they grow and sometimes even more likely to eat other produce items. Beyond anecdotes, there have been relatively few research studies that address the effects of engaging with school gardens, but researchers are working to change that.
Over the last decade or so, there have been an increasing number of research studies looking at the impacts of school garden education. When the results of these studies are compiled, trends and recommendations are more meaningful, and the experts agree. The Center for Disease Control has a panel of appointed experts that address public health issues. The Community Preventative Services Task Force (CPSTF) provides evidence-based findings and recommendations about community preventative services to improve public health. The task force decided to focus on school gardens last year, ratifying a report that reviewed several recent research studies in December of 2017 entitled Nutrition: Gardening Interventions to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Children.
The task force conducted a systematic review of 14 recent studies that investigated gardening interventions for youth. The studies were conducted in a variety of settings with youth ages 2-18. Study sites included early care and education, schools, after-school programs and communities. Studies were conducted in 4 different countries: United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Results showed that gardening activities increased youth consumption of vegetables and fruits in 13 of 14 studies. When the results were analyzed in relation to increasing vegetable intake alone, 12 of 14 studies showed an increase. Interestingly, fruit intake alone did not change significantly for any of the studies. The amount of vegetable and fruit intake was increased when gardening interventions were combined with nutrition education interventions, rather than just gardening alone.
The results of this review show that there is increasing evidence that garden interventions for youth can and do have an impact on increasing healthy eating habits. The review specifically recommends pairing gardening and nutrition interventions for increased success in fruit and vegetable consumption. Other recommendations included involving parents and caretakers in interventions and to share healthy eating messaging in the home, extending the garden education opportunities in harsher climates through season extension techniques and hiring a garden coordinator when possible that is dedicated to the upkeep and coordination of the garden.
While this review is something that school garden advocates can point to as evidence that school gardens do have an impact, there is still a need for further research that investigates potential benefits of school gardens.
Health care is one of the fastest growing industries in West Michigan. There are more jobs than people to fill them. In fact, 32 of the 100 jobs on the HOT JOBS list are in health care! This is a great time for you to begin a new career.
The health care industry has many different kinds of jobs. Some need short-term training such as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Sterile Processing Technician, where others need additional training or certification like Dental Hygienist and Licensed Practical Nurse.
There is opportunity for advancement in the health care industry too. You’ll need additional training to move to the next position, but don’t let that stop you from pursuing advancement. Health care employers want their employees to learn and grow so they will support you every step of the way.
Medical Secretary > Medical Records > Medical Transcriptionist > Billing and Coding
Environmental or Dietary Aide > Patient Transport > Tech Position > Supervisor
Not interested in working in a hospital or health care facility? There are health care jobs for you too! Consider working in a school, university, government organization or health care research facility.
Your next steps
Are you ready to begin a successful career in health care? Check out PathFinder which helps you create your own career path, or visit a service center to talk with our staff about your future health care career path.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Consumer credit is an important, but confusing topic. Before we can discuss the impact of poor credit, let us first define a few terms:
Credit: According to the dictionary, credit is “money that a bank or business will allow a person to use and then pay back in the future”.
Credit Report: Per the Federal Trade Commission, “Your credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Credit reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment or renting a home.”
Credit Score: According to the Federal Trade Commission, a credit score is model that creditors use “to determine if you’d be a good risk for credit cards, auto loans and mortgages”.
When consumers make financial decisions that lead to negative or derogatory statements on their credit report such as late payments, numerous applications for credit, collections, bankruptcies, etc., this can bring down their credit score. This can result in poor credit. Potential consequences of poor credit include:
The inability to rent an apartment. This can be very challenging, especially since the lack of affordable housing is quickly becoming a national issue.
The inability to get a job. This can make paying back creditors even more of a challenge.
The cost of insurance premiums. Insurance companies will review your credit to determine your insurance premium.
The cost of additional credit. Plainly said, if a person has good credit, they are much more likely to receive favorable credit terms when choosing to take on additional forms of credit such as an auto loan or mortgage (i.e. lower interest rates). When a person has poor credit, they are viewed as a higher risk of non-repayment or default and this typically results in less favorable credit terms (i.e. high interest rates).
For additional money management resources, visit Michigan State University Extension. Michigan State University Extension offers financial literacy and homeownership workshops throughout the year to help you become financially healthy. For more information of classes in your area, please visit either the MSU Extension events page or MI Money Health website. Additionally, you can take the Financial Health Survey at MI Money Health to access if you are financially healthy and discover more ways you can improve your financial health.
By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension
Regular exercise and physical activity are vital at any age, including for older adults. The National Institute on Aging says that being active helps older adults:
Keep and improve strength to stay independent
Have more energy to do things
Improve balance
Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis
Perk up mood and reduce depression
According to Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, by Dr. Kate Lorig, to get the greatest benefit from physical activity, older adults need to try four types of exercise: endurance, strength, balance and flexibility exercise.
Endurance activity
Many older adults avoid endurance activity, also called aerobic exercise, because they are unsure about how much is safe for older adults. “The most important thing is that some activity is better than none,” Dr. Lorig said. “If you start off doing what is comfortable and increase your efforts gradually, it is likely that you will build a healthy, lifelong habit.” There are three building blocks for a safe, moderate-intensity goal for endurance activity:
Frequency means how often you exercise. The Center for Disease Control recommends aerobic physical activity in episode of at least 10 minutes and, if possible, spread it out through the week.
Intensity is how much effort you use or how hard you work. Endurance or aerobic exercise is safe at a moderate intensity. You will feel warmer, you breathe deeper and faster, your heart rate will rise moderately and you will still feel like you can continue a while longer.
Time is how long you exercise each time you are active. At least 10 minutes is a good starting place. If that is too challenging, start with a smaller amount of time. You can work up from there, with a moderate intensity goal of 150 minutes per week. You can try to attain your 150 minute goal by exercising 30 minutes five days per week.
Strength training
We need to exercise our muscles in order to maintain our physical strength as we get older. Otherwise, our muscles shrink from lack of use. According to the book Living a Healthy Life With Chronic Conditions, moderate-intensity muscle-strengthening exercise of all major muscle groups should be done at least two days per week.
Flexibility exercises
Being flexible means you can move comfortably in your daily life with a minimum of pain and stiffness. A series of gentle stretching exercises done at least three to four days per week can help you improve and maintain flexibility as you get older.
Balance exercises
Falling is one of the most challenging events for older adults. Injury from falls, such as broken bones, is a common experience for those with balance issues. Strong and coordinated muscles in your core and legs are key for good balance. Certain exercises, including qi gong, tai chi, yoga and others are good for improving and maintaining balance.
You can find a free user-friendly exercise book and DVD through the National Institute on Aging website called Go4Life.
According to Michigan State University Extension, once you start exercising and become more physically active, you will begin to see results quickly. In a few short weeks, you will feel stronger and more energetic, and you will be able to do things easier, faster or longer than before. Your body will get used to a higher level of activity and you can continue to build on those benefits by doing more. Be sure to check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.
Photo courtesy of Michigan State University Extension
By Bonnie Lehman, Michigan State University Extension
Spring and summer in Michigan are great times for parents to garden outside with their children. Gardening together can be beneficial for bonding with children, educational and fun if safety is the first consideration.
Protecting children from exposure to toxic outdoor plants is crucial for keeping children safe. Ingesting plants and planting materials is a common hazard for children. Parents know how fast their small children can pick up anything and everything to put it in their mouth!
When purchasing outdoor plants, consider using safe, non-toxic plants. Plant buyers that want to protect children might not know which plants are non-toxic and will need a reliable, educational source. One source that is available free of charge is the National Capital Poison Center. This site offers a list of plants of poisonous and non-poisonous plants. The common name and botanical name are both listed. The list can be copied and taken with you when purchasing plants.
Know all of the plant names that are in your yard. The National Capital Poison Center and your regional poison center say it is important to know all the names of plants in your yard or home. The Poison Center can be reached at 1-800-222-1222 on a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week basis. They will need the common name or botanical name of a plant, otherwise they cannot positively identify plants over the phone. Keeping a written list of the plant names and location in your yard can assist child caregivers if they need to call the poison center. Be sure to store bulbs and seeds out of children’s reach.
The parent is the first teacher in a child’s life. Teach your children not to put plants, berries, soil, leaves, bark, seeds and any plant material in their mouth. Young children need patience and repeated messages to learn this skill. Even when a parent thinks the child has outgrown the stage of putting something in their mouth, they could still do it.
Be safety–minded. When gardening together with your child, remember that accidents can happen at unexpected times. They also can happen fast. Keep a watchful eye out for young children exploring the outdoors and think safety first.
E. Coli, a largely harmless but occasionally dangerous bacteria present in animal and human feces, is found throughout the Plaster Creek watershed. The E. Coli strains present in the watershed from animal waste are likely the product of agricultural runoff. However, when it comes to the E. Coli from human waste, according to professor Kelly DuBois, “it’s really not known where that’s coming from.”
So, does DuBois, a professor of biology, intend to track down the source? “Based on how often they’re finding [E. Coli]—all over the place—it can’t be one source, so we have a really small chance of pinpointing all the sources and shutting them all down,” said DuBois.
Instead, she is working with a group of student researchers to assess if green infrastructure installations could be an environmentally safe solution. In particular, they are looking at the impact of Kreiser pond, a retention basin installed in a residential area of Grand Rapids four or five years ago, “which is essentially a U-shaped little pond,” built to slow rainwater runoff. “We know it slows the flow down, it absolutely works for that,” said DuBois, “but my question was: what is it doing with the microbes in the water?”
A collaborative legacy
While according to DuBois, “it’s been shown in some instances that green infrastructure can be really efficient at removing bacterial contamination,” she hopes to prove that it’s effective in Plaster Creek’s case so that future green infrastructure projects in the watershed can be designed with microbial reduction in mind.
The project is in collaboration with the Plaster Creek Stewards, a group of Calvin faculty, staff, and students who have been working over a decade on the restoration of the Plaster Creek watershed. “It’s a fun group to be a part of,” said DuBois, “because there’s so much collaboration, and everyone comes at it from a little different perspective.”
DuBois was inspired to work with Plaster Creek Stewards after doing research through Calvin’s Clean Water Institute last year. “I was really excited to be a part of [the Clean Water Institute], and that has kind of led to [working with Plaster Creek],” she said, “because I developed that skill set last summer with my student, it was like ‘hey, we can apply these [tools] to Plaster Creek too!”
Pursuing proper stewardship
“As biologists, obviously, creation care is something that’s very important to us,” DuBois said, “I honestly love bench science, but it’s nice to have a project [where] it’s easier for students to see the direct connection with taking care of creation.” She added, “we can see, when we measure stuff in that water, that humans have had a negative impact on this little part of creation, and so it’s very practical to say we want to turn that around now.”
One of the student researchers, Kate DeHeer, a junior majoring in biology and biochemistry, has observed firsthand the positive community impacts of the Steward’s work: “we’ve only been out to the pond twice, but have met around five neighbors interested in our work.” She added, “they all seem to be fond of Kreiser and were happy to have it in their neighborhood.”
According to Tobe Ndika, a junior biology major with a pre-med concentration, “[this research] has made me aware of the need for stewardship towards God’s creation.” He added “I feel called to make the world a better place.”
You can preserve cookie dough in the freezer just as you can freshly-baked cookies.
Properly frozen dough ensures that your dough will make great cookies when the time is right. Simply follow a few steps offered by Michigan State University Extension.
Tips for freezing baked cookies:
Before freezing your baked cookies make sure they are completely cooled.
Wrap your cooled cookies individually in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag or an airtight container.
Cookies can also be placed between layers of waxed paper in the container. Make sure the top layer is covered with wax paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil so that very little air will get to the cookies. The individually wrapped cookies will store longer.
Freeze frosted cookies, uncovered, until they are firm and then pack them in a freezer bag or an airtight container.
Label the freezer bag or container with the date and type of cookies.
Tips for freezing cookie dough:
Drop unbaked cookie dough onto cookie sheets and place in the freezer until frozen.
Transfer the drops of frozen cookie dough into freezer bags or airtight containers.
Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible or if using a storage container make sure the top layer is covered well with wax paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil so that very little air will get to the cookie dough.
If you choose to freeze the entire amount of dough and then thaw it later, to make into individual cookies, wrap the dough with wax paper or saran wrap and then place it into a freezer bag or airtight container.
Label the freezer bag or container with the type of cookie dough and the date.
Keeping air away from cookie dough or baked cookies helps to prevent freezer burn. Freezer burn is not a food safety risk but it affects the appearance and flavor of cookies and dough. It looks like grayish-brown leathery spots on the frozen food. Freezer burn occurs when air reaches the food surface and dries it out.
The suggested storage time for both cookie dough and baked cookies in your 0 degrees Fahrenheit freezer is no more than six months. Most people have no problem eating their cookies within this time-frame! Freezing cookies and cookie dough is both a money and time saving activity that has very tasty results.
Led by Oral Health America, Demand Medicare Dental is a national campaign to improve oral health (and overall health) for older adults by adding a dental care benefit to Medicare.
The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.
Any pet-lover knows it’s tough to walk out the door for vacation when you have to leave your furry friends behind. Luckily, there are plenty of places throughout West Michigan ready to welcome both you and your four-legged friends! We’ve gathered some of our favorite pet-friendly locations to help you plan your next trip for the entire family.
Signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Medicare provides health care coverage to seniors and individuals with disabilities. For most older adults, it is a benefit they have been paying for their entire working lives. Medicare insures older adults have basic healthcare coverage. Many older adults are surprised to discover though, that dental care is not a benefit included in Medicare coverage. There is a campaign underfoot to change this.
The original version of Medicare included oral health, but like all bills, in order to become law Medicare went through several revisions. The thought at the time was that a majority of Americans lost all of their teeth by age 65, so dental care was unimportant. Today, thanks to better oral health and fluoridated water, many of us are holding onto our teeth for our entire lives. The ability to care for our teeth is integral to healthy aging.
Our mouths have a direct impact on our health. Tooth decay or loss directly affects our ability to take in proper nutrition. The ability to eat and swallow are imperative to maintaining good health as we age. Maintaining adequate nutrition is often key to remaining independent.A decline in oral health also affects our self-esteem and willingness to communicate, leading to social isolation and loneliness. Poor oral health can also have a negative impact on our general physical health. Periodontal disease has been shown to affect blood glucose levels in people with diabetes and has recently been associated with cardiovascular disease. Receiving basic oral health services helps prevent these outcomes.
Led by Oral Health America, Demand Medicare Dental is a national campaign to improve oral health (and overall health) for older adults by adding a dental care benefit to Medicare. Right now, they are working in several states and partnering with local organizations to raise awareness of the issue and to encourage legislators to begin having the conversation about including dental benefits in Medicare. Demand Dental Care has recently partnered with Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan and the Tri-County AAA in Lansing to bring their Brush Brigade to local events, asking people interested in this issue to sign their name on a toothbrush, which will be delivered to legislators this fall. It is important for lawmakers to know this issue is important to their constituents.
If you’re interested in learning more about their efforts or volunteering for the campaign, you can visit their website at www.DemandMedicareDental.org. On the website, you can also choose to send your legislator a toothbrush to let them know – “I Have Teeth and I Vote!”
Sentinel tree tag for identification of a tree entered into the Eyes on the Forest program. | Photo by Michigan State University Extension
ByMike Schira, Michigan State University Extension
Supported by expanding international imports into the country, new and potentially devastating tree pests, both insects and disease, are being introduced to our woodland and landscape trees. Many of these new exotic species won’t find suitable host species or conditions and will simply die off, a few will be successful in becoming established.
Newly established exotic species, having been introduced from other regions of the globe, have no natural enemies or pathogens to hold their numbers down. Unchecked, these new pest species can spread rapidly thereby being labeled as invasive with the potential of devastating their host species.
Examples of past impacts are the losses of American chestnut and elm from both our urban landscapes and forest stands. The loss of the American chestnut and elm affected not only the trees, but also the wildlife that was dependent on the trees for food and shelter. The lost trees may have been shading stream and river waterways. The loss of shade is contributing to increased water temperatures, which reduces the available dissolved oxygen and causes a reduction of fish populations.
Currently beach bark disease, emerald ash borer and oak wilt are examples of exotic species that have become established and are working their way through many of our forest stands, leaving dead skeletons of once healthy trees as they move through.
Spotted lanternfly was first detected in Pennsylvania in September 2014. It feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees.
In an effort to enable early detection of new invasive tree pests, Michigan State University Extension has developed the Eyes on the Forest program. With initial funding from a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant, this ongoing program is an effort to establish a network of sentinel trees across the state. Volunteer enthusiasts select the sentinel tree of their choosing and report on the trees overall general health using the online Midwest Invasive Species Network.
Hopefully, with a strong enough network of sentinel trees, we can achieve early detection of new tree pests and work to eliminate them before they can become established. For more information on the program, visit the MSU Extension Eyes on the Forest website.
Any pet-lover knows it’s tough to walk out the door for vacation when you have to leave your furry friends behind. Luckily, there are plenty of places throughout West Michigan ready to welcome both you and your four-legged friends! We’ve gathered some of our favorite pet-friendly locations to help you plan your next trip for the entire family.
For a complete listing of pet-friendly properties in West Michigan, click to view our “Travel With Pets” article in the Carefree Travel Guide.
South Pet-Friendly Spots
Round Barn in Baroda is always pet-friendly! Bring your dog along for your visit, whether you’re stopping by for a casual visit or for one of Round Barns’ many events. Their showcase event series, Jammin’ in the Vineyard, features 26 weekends of the best live regional music, paired with world-class wines, hand-crafted spirits, and fresh craft beers.
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings has trails that are open for hiking from dawn to dusk. They have over nine miles of trails for you to explore this summer. Pets are allowed on the trails if they are on a leash and cleaned up after, and there is no fee to hike the trails.
Take your dog to a baseball game in Lansing. Select Mondays at Cooley Law School Stadium are Dog Days of Summer, including the upcoming game on Monday, July 23rd.
No need to leave Fido at home during your next Coldwater Country getaway. Several local hotels are pet-friendly, and your dog will love spending time in the great outdoors!
Central Pet-Friendly Spots
The patio at Atwater Brewery in Grand Rapids welcomes pups of all sizes! They’re happy to accommodate your furry friends while you enjoy your meal and a delicious brew.
Muskegon County has several pet-friendly restaurants, hotels, and parks. One of your stops needs to be Pet Safe Bark Park, which was created for specially dogs. The park has separate large and small dog areas, dog agility equipment, doggie drinking fountains, and a grooming area.
Your dog will have everything they need during your visit to Mecosta County. The area has accommodations that welcome the furry guest, grooming for your dog, a bakery serving freshly-made dog treats, and parks for your dog to play at.
Holland is a very pet-friendly town. For those that prefer to travel with their pets, the walkable downtown area is perfect for taking a stroll and grabbing a brew, while enjoying the atmosphere of a bustling downtown on an outdoor patio with your pup. There are also parks and shops downtown that joyfully welcome four-legged friends.
The Grand Haven-Spring Lake Waterfront Holiday Inn is a dog-friendly hotel. They have 10 dedicated pet rooms on the first floor with slider doors for easy access to the outdoors and the Lakeside Trail. Your dog will feel welcome, and they’ll even receive a goodie bag with natural dog treats upon arrival!
North Pet-Friendly Spots
Don’t leave your best friend at home while you have all the fun. The Beaver Island Boat Company, based out of Charlevoix, lets you and your pet journey 32 miles into Lake Michigan to quaint Beaver Island. Hike endless trails, throw a stick off the shore of Donegal Bay, or share an ice cream cone with your furry friend.
It’s hard to enjoy the great outdoors of Ludington when your dog is at home, missing out on all the running and splashing they could be doing. Thankfully, when you stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ludington or the Best Western Lakewinds, your best friend can enjoy all the fun too. Grab their leash and get the whole family ready for a great time in Ludington!
Pack up the gang and include your pet when traveling to the Petoskey Area. A variety of lodging options await you and your dog. Make sure to take advantage of the dog park and the dog-friendly beaches in the Boyne area! Boyne City even has a taproom where your pet is a welcomed guest. Places to stay with your dog include full-service resorts such as Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands, historic inns like the Terrace Inn, and chain facilities including the Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Locally owned hotels with indoor pools that will welcome you & your pet include Apple Tree Inn, Odawa Casino Resort, and Stafford’s Crooked River Lodge & Suites.
Ruff Life Pet Outfitters in Petoskey was founded in 2012 by Gary Albert, who decided to launch the store because of his passion for the area’s vibrant pet culture, active community, and unique cross section of local, resort, and tourist markets. Ruff Life Pet Outfitter carries the latest products in the pet care industry, offering natural items and unique, high quality affordable pet products. It truly is a pet’s paradise!
Bring your dog with you to historic Sault Ste. Marie. Travel the Soo Locks with your dog as you tour up and down the St. Marys River, or bring them to Tahquamenon Falls State Park. When you’re so far away from home, why not bring the whole family?
Don’t forget to bring your four-legged friends on your next vacation to Charlevoix! Downtown is incredibly pet-friendly, with many stores allowing pets to accompany their owners shopping. Many of the parks are pet accessible, such as the Mt. McSauba Recreation Area. Pet-friendly accommodations include the Inn at Grey Gables and Pointes North Inn.
Indigo Bluffs in Empire is quite pet-friendly, with dog-centric amenities including their doggie-pot stations, fenced in dog-run area, and dog treats at the on-site store.
Waterfire Vineyards in Kewadin offers a pet-friendly apartment for weekend and weekly rentals. This tiny-home inspired retreat is in the heart of Waterfire’s sustainably-farmed vineyards. Spend your vacation with your furry friend where wine is literally just around the corner!
Summer vacation doesn’t have to mean leaving Fido at home. Shanty Creek Resort recommends bringing your precious pup with and stopping at the nearby pet resort. Just a few minutes down the road from Shanty Creek, your dog will stay in luxury at this full-service resort. In addition to being open 24/7, enjoy the in-and-out privileges allowing Fido to join the family on day trips to nearby Torch Lake and other fun area destinations.
I recently attended a meeting in the greater Grand Rapids area where the discussion centered on how we can benefit Michigan and its communities. In typical brainstorm fashion, our large group was divided into smaller tables to discuss and generate ideas which would be reported out to the larger group.
After one group’s suggestion that we help communities recruit individuals, an audience member respectfully suggested, “Why grow?” When the response was “to keep our communities from stagnating,” the audience member persisted that growth is bad, causing unnecessary congestion and build out, and that we should learn to live with what we have. Polite as the discussion was, I resisted the urge to jump up and debate the topic that day.
So there is no misunderstanding, growth is a good thing, if done right. There are countless examples from the old days, and unfortunately present day too, of poorly managed growth in urban sprawl, over taxing of utilities, etc. That is bad growth.
Communities are just like people, they are either green and growing or ripe and rotting, nothing stays the same. Each of us tries to grow personally, professionally and keep in shape, as a result we are better than we were before. In fact, we can choose to continually grow and improve. Yes, we all know that one guy from high school that 20 years later is still sitting on the couch re-living the same game-winning-touchdown-pass he caught. That is an example of no growth. Communities are the same, they can’t sit around remembering the good ol’ days. Instead, they need to look forward and position themselves for a positive, productive future.
If you’ve been paying attention, Michigan has been hemorrhaging for 10 years when three major companies ended 400,000+ manufacturing jobs. This created a ripple effect and tailspin of people leaving our state, taking their skilled talents and families with them. Although Michigan has done many things right and we are gaining back ground, we still need talent. We need people to move back to Michigan bringing their skills and talents, but also their families, ideas and civic involvement. It is this growth that Michigan and our communities desperately need in order to be a vibrant state.
Here’s the fun part. Yes, we have to encourage and embrace growth in order to be better, but we must be smart about it. As communities and as a state we need to decide what type of growth works, where best to encourage it and what happens when it comes. In other words, we must do some advanced planning so that the growth we so desperately need is organized, positive and helps us get to where we want to go.
And here’s the really fun part, there are loads of people and resources out there that can help. From your local economic development organization, in our case the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, to the MSU Extension, regional planning agencies such as Networks Northwest or the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments to the Michigan Municipal League and others.
Michigan has a bright future, and I hope growth will be part of it!
Michigan State University Extension has had a unique relationship with the regional economic development organization Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA) for more than 20 years. Recognizing the strength of combining resources, this partnership focuses on economic development, entrepreneurship growth and community infrastructure throughout a four-county region in the northwest Lower Peninsula, specifically Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet counties. As a result, the NLEA utilizes resources offered through MSU Extension as it provides leadership to statewide programs sponsored by MSU Extension.
By Sue Thoms, Spectrum Health Beat, photos by Chris Clark
Cuddling her favorite stuffed dog as she tucked down into a hospital bed, Acacia Walter-Rooks dreamed of life with a healthy kidney.
“I’m excited to eat more foods and go to school and see my friends,” she said.
At the top of the list for this 14-year-old: French fries and macaroni and cheese.
The busy life of a teenage athlete seemed within reach—if her body accepted the donated kidney, and if disease did not attack the new organ.
Two big ifs.
Acacia had already surmounted one big hurdle: She had a living kidney donor who was a good match.
The next day, she would undergo surgery at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital to receive a kidney from Beth Hill, a 46-year-old mother of four young children.
And Hill was not the only one who offered.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Acacia’s parents, Brie Walter-Rooks and Ryan Rooks, marveled as dozens of friends, neighbors and co-workers volunteered as donors when they learned a rare disease destroyed Acacia’s kidneys. Some potential donors didn’t even know the family well.
Transplant coordinators halted the application list at 30, just so they could process the offers on hand.
The generosity buoyed the family at a difficult time.
“My hope is that Acacia will always remember how loved and cared for she was by her community, and people’s desire to love and care for her so her life can be full and whole,” Ryan said.
For Hill, a friend from church, being chosen as the best match was an honor.
“I feel very blessed to be able to do that,” she said.
‘Always in motion’
Before kidney disease struck, Acacia exuded good health. She played soccer, made the cut on a select volleyball team, and did gymnastics for fun. She and friends from East Grand Rapids Middle School rode bikes, hung out in Gaslight Village and went to movies.
It became clear we needed to take the next big step.
Brie Walter-Rooks Acacia’s mom
“She was just a really active kid,” Brie said. “Always in motion.”
Brie and Ryan adopted Acacia when she was 3 weeks old. They also have a 15-year-old daughter, Mica. The two girls, just a year apart in age, “are totally different and extremely close,” Brie said.
Acacia showed the first signs of kidney disease in July 2013, at age 11. She had puffy eyes, swollen ankles and a bloated stomach. Her face and neck swelled.
They learned she had a rare kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which scars and damages the kidney’s filtering units.
Genetic testing showed Acacia has a genetic mutation in the APOL1 gene that is sometimes found in people of African descent. The mutation boosts protection from African sleeping sickness, but also carries a sevenfold risk of kidney disease.
Acacia had an exceptionally aggressive form of the disease, one that can rapidly lead to end-stage kidney failure. Doctors said she would likely need a transplant in two to six months.
But she went 30 months before she reached that point. Even with kidneys functioning at 30 percent, Acacia played sports full-speed and hiked in the mountains on family backpacking trips.
In January, however, her kidney function dropped below 20 percent, and her blood pressure rose. Her doctor said she should stop playing sports.
“It became clear we needed to take the next big step,” Brie said.
On Feb. 11, a surgeon removed Acacia’s failing kidneys.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
She began receiving dialysis three times a week. The treatments did the blood-cleaning work of her kidneys, but they left her nauseated and tired. She had to stay home from school.
As Acacia underwent final tests before the transplant, her parents also faced the possibility that the new kidney would not be the fix they sought. Thirty percent of those with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis get the disease back within minutes to hours after transplant.
Before the operation, Brie said she and Ryan were concerned, but they chose not to dwell on possible downsides.
“You realize there is a higher probability that she will be healthy,” Ryan said. “And you go with that.”
‘Called to do this’
Hill remembers the day at Genesis Methodist Church when Brie talked about her daughter’s kidney disease and how she would need a transplant one day.
“It was heart-wrenching,” she said.
Over the next few weeks, Hill thought several times about donating a kidney. She thought about what she would want for her four young children if they were sick. She ultimately decided she could, and should, offer to help.
“I felt called to do this,” she said. “I believe in following those urges.”
Talking with her oldest daughter, 6-year-old Emersyn, Hill explained that she had two kidneys but only needed one.
“We have to help where we can,” she told her.
And Emersyn said, “It’s like having two chances.”
At first, Hill wanted to keep a low profile about her decision to donate. She eventually agreed to discuss it publicly to raise awareness about those waiting for kidney transplants.
“So many people are suffering,” she said.
All those who volunteered to give a kidney to Acacia “are just regular people,” she said. “We all have our own lives and jobs and things that need to be taken care of. Other regular people can help, too.”
Transplant day
The morning of the transplant, the festive crowd gathered in the pre-op area. Acacia curled up under a blue fleece blanket, clutching her stuffed dog, while Mom and Dad talked, smiled and hugged her.
I’m very glad I did it. A little bit of pain is worth it.
Beth Hill Kidney donor
Julia Steinke, MD, Acacia’s pediatric nephrologist, appeared at Acacia’s bedside.
“This is the best day ever,” Dr. Steinke said.
Nearby, Beth Hill lay in another bed, while her spouse, Lisa, held her hand. Their pastor, the Rev. DeAnn Dobbs, moved from bed to bed, leading them all in prayer.
Hill went to the operating room first. As her bed rolled by, she and Acacia raised their hands to each other―a long-distance high five.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
In side-by-side operating rooms, one team worked to detach Hill’s left kidney while another team prepared Acacia for the transplant. Surgeon Stanley Sherman, MD, carried the kidney from one room to the other in a basin filled with a slushy saline mixture.
Acacia’s parents sat in a waiting room, hoping for updates.
Clinical transplant coordinator Eric Beuker soon entered with good news: The kidney was in place and already working.
“We have liquid gold,” he said.
In the hours and days following transplant, the news got even better. Acacia’s new kidney continued to function well, and her kidney disease did not reappear.
“From a well-being standpoint, she is really doing better than expected,” Dr. Steinke said.
Acacia will need medication for the rest of her life to prevent rejection of the new organ. But she will no longer have restrictions on her diet. And she will be able to spike volleyballs over the net again.
Two days after transplant, Acacia took her first walk. With baby steps, she covered 80 feet down the hall at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. She sunk back into the recliner in her room, and her parents and therapists applauded.
Acacia, exhausted, had a request: French fries and an Oreo-vanilla milkshake.
Live-saving
In Hill’s room at Butterworth Hospital, her four kids clustered around her. Kathryn, 2, sat on her lap, and Brendan, 3, asked when she would come home.
Caught off guard by the pain on the second night post-transplant, she’d pulled through with adjustments in medication.
“I’m very glad I did it,” she said. “A little bit of pain is worth it.”
Donors go through extensive medical evaluations to make sure patients will function well with one kidney, Dr. Steinke said. Surgery is done laparoscopically, so recovery is quicker than it was in the past. Still, it can take four to six weeks for a donor to recover, as the body adjusts to a 50 percent drop in kidney function.
A living donor benefits more than just the recipient. Thirteen children are waiting for kidney transplants at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. When a living donor volunteers, it means the line shortens for those waiting for a kidney from a deceased donor.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Dr. Steinke marvels at the commitment of donors like Hill. While some know the recipient well, others volunteer to give to a stranger.
“That is just an amazing, selfless act that I always am so humbled by,” she said.
For kids like Acacia, a functioning kidney means a chance at a full life and a healthy childhood and teen years.
“It’s a life-saving procedure,” Dr. Steinke said. “She will be able to follow whatever dream she wants.”
If you are considering becoming a living kidney donor, call the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital pediatric kidney transplant team at 616.391.2802.
There were two stories of people diagnosed with brown recluse bites in the media recently, “Muskegon woman hospitalized after brown recluse spider bite” from Detroit Free Press and “Rising temps may mean more brown recluse spiders” from Wood TV. One person was reported to have been bitten up in Leelanau County, the other in Nunica, Michigan, in Ottawa County. Both bites were reported to have occurred outside. The offending spider was not collected and identified in either case. The attending physicians based their diagnosis on the appearance of the bite.
Last year, a woman sent me a spider she captured in the act of biting her. The bite festered and she went to the emergency room at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The attending physician diagnosed the bite as that of a brown recluse spider. The spider the lady sent me was a yellow sac spider, Cheiracanthium spp.and (Miturgidae).
It is very difficult to diagnose the perpetrator of a bite based on the appearance of a bite. I am not saying it’s impossible that both of these people were bitten by a brown recluse spider, but it is very unlikely.
Even though Michigan is not in the accepted native range of the brown recluse, it has been found in 10 Michigan counties. Prior to 2017, it had been found in Genesee, Hillsdale, Lenawee, Ingham and Kent counties. The Kent County find came from a home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the residents had just returned from a trip to Missouri, where the spider is common. Recluse spiders are known to hitchhike in boxes, suitcases and articles of commerce.
In the spring of 2017, a brown recluse spider was found in an unheated garage in Genesee County and in a building on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor (see the 2017 Michigan State University Extension article, “Update on brown recluse spiders in Michigan”). The owner of the garage indicated she had not traveled out of Michigan prior to finding the spiders. Large universities like Michigan have large transient populations of students and visitors from all over the country, so it is not too surprising for a recluse or two to show up there.
In the past 14 months, over 700 Michiganders have sent me photographs of spiders thought to be recluse spiders they had encountered in their homes and yards. Some people just sent stories about bites thought to be recluse bites. Some of these stories were profoundly heart-wrenching.
Of these 700 spider photos, only seven turned out to be of brown recluse spiders. Five of these represented new county records for the recluse in Michigan. The new county records were for Livingston, Oakland, Shiawassee and Wayne counties. There have been multiple finds in Genesee, Washtenaw and Lenawee counties.
Here is a map of Michigan showing the counties where the recluse spider has been found. The counties shown in blue are where the brown recluse had been found prior to 2017. Red counties are where it was found in 2017.
One of these recluse populations, located in a single family residence in Tecumseh, Michigan, in Lenawee County, has been eradicated. This was a true reproducing population of brown recluse spiders consisting of numerous individuals of all life stages including eggs, juveniles and adults. After several attempts using conventional insecticide sprays failed to rid the spiders from their home, the homeowners took out a second mortgage and hired a crew to encase the home in plastic sheeting and pump it full of Vikane gas. They felt they had no other choice to protect their small children.
Photo courtesy Michigan State University Extension
No one in this family was ever bitten by the spiders over the several years they had shared their home with them. They sent me this photo of their home while it was prepped for the fumigation.
So what does this all mean? It means there are rare, isolated populations of brown recluse spiders living in Michigan. It means that the vast majority of Michiganders will never come within a half-mile of a brown recluse spider. None of the brown recluse spiders that have been found in Michigan walked here from Arkansas or even southern Ohio for that matter; they were brought or carried here in suitcases, boxes or some other cartage.
I think it is too early to suggest they represent the beginning of a great northern migration of the brown recluse. There has been only one report of a recluse spider from Wisconsin and that was in 2016. There have been no reports of recluse spiders marauding through the northern parts of Ohio, Indiana or Illinois, so try to relax and enjoy your summer. Please. If you think you found a recluse, send me the spider or a photo of the spider to bugman@msu.edu. I will either put your mind to ease or ruin your summer.
There are about 37,000 species of spiders worldwide with about 3,800 species in North America. Michigan is home to just 500 or so native species of spiders, only three of these native species (not including the brown recluse) are medically important. These are the northern black widow, yellow sac spider and, to a lesser degree, the northern cobweb spider. Yellow sac spiders are very common in and around homes. All Michigan spiders are predators that use venom to subdue their prey. Most will try to bite if threatened. None will aggressively chase you down the hall to bite you, although some consider the yellow sac spider to be a recreational biter—that is, they will bite you just for the hang of it.
Michigan spiders range in size from under 1/8 inch in the Linyphiidae (sheetweb and dwarf spiders) to almost an inch long in the Lycosidae (wolf spiders). Though tiny, researchers have estimated there are 25 metric million tons of spiders on the earth right now.
Spiders do possess a super power too. The silk spiders spin to build their webs and dangle from your ceiling is one of the strongest materials known. Not all spiders construct webs of silk to capture their prey. Some simply run their prey down and overwhelm it. Others are ambush hunters that lie in wait for their prey to walk by then pounce on it.
More than 90 percent of the spider’s diet is made up of insects and they chow through as much as 800 million tons of prey every year. In doing so, spiders play an essential role in keeping natural ecosystems in balance. However, for many, the very word “spider” conjures terrifying or repulsive images, and I’m now going to share with you some of those images (at the end of this article).
Back to Michigan spiders. The 700 photos or specimens of spiders sent to me last year that were not recluse spiders include most, if not all, of the common spiders found around Michigan homes. The nursery web spider and the dark fishing spiders are most likely to be confused with a brown recluse.
This table is a list of spiders Michiganders think might be a brown recluse, ordered by rank in terms of the number of photographs sent to me last year. It is not surprising that most of these are nomadic hunting spiders that do not spin webs to capture their prey.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will bloom of a rare Amorphophallus titanum, commonly known as a corpse flower, a bloom 18 years in the making.
GRandJazzFest seeks volunteers for August event
GRandJazzFest presented by the DTE Energy Foundation seeks volunteers to help at the festival Aug. 18 and 19 at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids.
Riders enjoying their time horseback riding at the 2017 State 4-H Trail Ride & Family Camp Weekend. All photos by Taylor Fabus, MSU Extension.
ByTaylor Fabus, Michigan State University Extension
If you’re spending time with your horse on the trail, it’s important to do so responsibly. Read on to discover many ways in which you can be sure you ride responsibly.
Travel responsibly
Stay on designated roads, trails and other areas open to horses.
Ride single file to reduce trail damage. Spread out in open country where there are no trails. Spreading out, rather than following each other’s footsteps, disperses impact and avoids creating a new trail.
Be prepared to let other trail enthusiasts know what needs to be done to keep you, the horse and other passersby safe when you meet on the trail.
Be alert and aware of the presence of other trail enthusiasts. If possible, pull to the side of the trail when you hear oncoming off-highway vehicles or bicycles.
Leave gates as you find them. If crossing private property, be sure to ask permission from the landowner.
Do not disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites.
Avoid “spooking” livestock and wildlife you encounter and keep your distance.
Water animals in areas where stream banks and water access can withstand hard use and are downstream from campsites.
Photo by Taylor Fabus, MSU Extension
Educate yourself
Obtain a map of your destination and determine which areas are open to your type of pack animals.
Make a realistic plan and stick to it. Always tell someone of your travel plans.
Contact the land manager for area restrictions, closures and permit requirements.
Check the weather forecast for your destination. Plan clothing, equipment and supplies accordingly.
Kimberlin is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ liaison to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee on immunization practices.
