Tag Archives: Michigan

Write Michigan winners give inside look into inspiration behind winning stories

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Write Michigan offers writers of all ages a chance to have their work published (Supplied)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


More than 1,150 writers across Michigan entered the 12th annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest that began accepting submissions in September 2023. Among the entrants were 441 adults, 461 teens and 260 youth.

Kent District Library, Capital Area District Library, Canton Public Library, Michigan Learning Channel and Schuler Books recently announced the winners of the 2023-24 Write Michigan contest.

Write Michigan’s annual short story contest provides a chance for all ages to be published (Courtesy, KDL)

Winners were chosen by public voting for the $250 Readers’ Choice award, and by a panel of judges for the $500 Judges’ Choice and $250 Judges’ Choice Runner-up awards.

Write Michigan winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on March 23. The ceremony will feature a keynote address from author Gary D. Schmidt.

WKTV Journal recently caught up with a few of the entrants for an inside look at the winning stories and the inspiration behind them.

Youth Judges’ Choice Winner – Leyla Koroglu (Ann Arbor, MI)

Unique perspectives are a hallmark of Koroglu’s writing (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

A Long-Forgotten Memory: Told from the perspective of an old tree named Maple, the story is about the relationship between the tree and Amber, the new owner of the house where Maple lives. During the story, Maple and Amber uncover their forgotten past together and learn to appreciate themselves in new ways.

Eleven-year-old Leyla Koroglu entered the Write Michigan contest after seeing an advertisement at her local library.

“It inspired me to write a new story,” said Koroglu. “I like to write stories from unique perspectives.

“I wanted to explore the perspective of a tree in A Long-Forgotten Memory because trees can grow so old and experience so much, but they can never move. I also wanted to think about what kinds of feelings a tree might have.”

Koroglu has been writing pieces of stories she made up since she was very young.

“I like creating stories that have meaningful messages behind them,” said Koroglu. “A Long-Forgotten Memory shows that even if you feel helpless, you can still be very special to someone else.”

Winning the Judges’ Choice Award meant a lot to Koroglu because she didn’t expect to win. The young writer is excited to write another story for next year’s contest.

Teen Judges’ Choice Winner – Sonja de Wilde (Grand Rapids, MI)

A House with a Garden: “Werewolf of London” meets “Southern Gothic.” Two characters in a backwoods mining town have a dream to live a more peaceful life, but their personal demons get in the way. Though they love each other, it is not enough, and they end up succumbing to their environment.

All you need is…more than love (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Sixteen-year-old Sonja de Wilde entered the Write Michigan contest for fun when she found out a friend was also participating.

“I never actually expected to win,” said de Wilde. “It was just something fun to work on together. We read each other’s stories while we were writing them, and talked about our ideas and writing.”

De Wilde said she has been writing stories since she can remember, but had difficulty finishing them until recently.

“I’ve always had a difficult time following through on any one idea,” said de Wilde. “Perhaps because it’s too daunting at the moment, or I come up with another one that I think is better.

“One day I hope to write a novel or two, but I have a lot of work to do before I get there, I think.”

A House with a Garden was inspired by a modern Southern Gothic novel de Wilde read over the past summer.

Write Michigan has helped de Wilde see a writing project through to the end (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

“That book had an enormous impact on me,” said de Wilde. “I still think about it almost every single day.”

The teen writer also finds inspiration in music, and she often writes while listening to specific playlists. De Wilde also writes music, and is working on a Southern Gothic-inspired album.

“The album’s story is very similar to this [story],” said de Wilde. “I’d say A House With A Garden encapsulates the third act of the album.”

De Wilde said she will never forget the moment she realized she had won the Judges’ Choice award.

“I was in my room, finishing homework, and I looked up and my inbox said (1). I opened the email, and I just remember a flood of shock and amazement,” said de Wilde. “I ran downstairs and told my mom right away, and we were both screaming and jumping around in the kitchen.”

“It really was such an incredible moment,” de Wilde continued. “I entered for fun, and all of a sudden the judges think my writing, my little story, deserves the top award in my category.

“I am just so proud of myself, and so grateful for the people around me who encourage me every day to know my worth, and the worth of my work.”

Adult Judges’ Choice Winner – Joshua Boers (Grand Rapids, MI)

Gambler’s Rest: After his wife’s death during a poker game, a grieving card sharp finds his way to Gambler’s Rest—a dismal afterlife where the dead gamble for memories. To bring her back, he must play the highest-stakes card game of his life.

Ghouls and gambling – a high-stakes story (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Joshua Boers entered the Write Michigan contest after his cousin suggested they both submit stories.

“I find it so much easier to finish a story when I’m accountable to someone and I have a deadline, so this was a great arrangement for me,” said Boers.

Inspired by a They Might Be Giants rock band song about ghouls, Gambler’s Rest came to fruition after several weeks of planning.

“I spent a few months working and reworking the outline—trying to find the characters, tone, and plot,” said Boers. “I eventually took some inspiration from the poem Sir Orfeo, a medieval retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth where a king must rescue his wife from a fairy court.

Some stories take research and planning (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

“After that, I just had to learn how to play poker, and then the writing could begin in earnest.”

Having written several poems and stories when he was younger, Boers picked up the hobby again in earnest after taking a creative writing class at Calvin University.

“[Writing] can be a slow process, but it’s exciting when you feel like you’re on the trail of something interesting,” said Boers.

That “something interesting” won Boers the Judges’ Choice award.

“It was a surprise,” said Boers. “I knew I’d be up against hundreds of people, so I didn’t expect to be selected as a semifinalist or to win the Judges’ Choice award.

“It makes me more excited and more confident as I move on to new writing projects.”

Published Finalist – Margaret VanHaften (Frankfort, MI)

Gristle, Witch Hazel, and the Kickball: Lizzy, a nine year-old in the 1950’s, wants to be part of the neighborhood kickball team. She thinks her birthday gift, a real kickball, will be the key to entry. But, Gristle, the neighborhood bully, gets the ball from her and kicks it into Witch Hazel’s yard. Witch Hazel is said to mush-up children who come into her yard and put them into her banana-nut bread, a definite deterrent to kids retrieving lost balls.

Lizzy, embarrassed, intimidated and angry, has to figure out how to handle her problem. She learns how to discern what people tell her and handle challenges.

VanHaften’s submission carries a message about overcoming adversity (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Though Margaret VanHaften has loved writing fiction since the 1950s and has an avid imagination, most of her school and career experiences required technical writing.

“Now I have time to write the fiction I love,” said VanHaften.

However, VanHaften admitted that she rarely sends her writing out for publication.

“Write Michigan is a safe way to start,” said VanHaften. “I like the way the scoring grid clarifies what the judges are looking for – I use it regularly now.”

Lizzy’s story came to VanHaften as many of them do – as soon as her head hits the pillow at night. A process that, though it does not help her sleep, helps her write.

“I don’t know where the stories come from, but I’m glad they arrive,” said VanHaften.

Upon learning she was a Published Finalist, VanHaften said she was surprised, but grateful her story resonated with readers.

“That is my goal, to connect to readers in a meaningful way.”

Link to full list of winners – and more!

To see a full list of Write Michigan 2024 winners, click here.

To learn about other Write Michigan events, click here.

Learn more about KDL opportunities and events for the community by visiting their website.

Veterans Small Business Week celebrates positive contributions to local communities by veteran-owned businesses

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Veteran-owned small businesses make many positive contributions to local communities and economies.

By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org

Governor Whitmer honors veterans with Veterans Small Business Week in Michigan (Courtesy, Supplied)

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has recognized Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 as Veterans Small Business Week in Michigan. This event is to celebrate the positive contributions made by veteran-owned small businesses to our local communities and economies across Michigan.

“During Veterans Small Business Week, let’s support Michigan’s strong, local veteran-owned small businesses and celebrate the huge impact they have on our economy,” said Gov. Whitmer.

“Michigan’s entrepreneurs and small business owners move our state forward,” Whitmer continued. “Many are owned and operated by Michiganders who served our nation in uniform and continue to make a difference in their community. This week and every week, let’s support our veteran-owned small businesses.”

Reducing barriers for veterans

Gov. Whitmer has signed legislation to reduce barriers to professional licensure. This created an expedited path for veterans and their families to practice their licensed profession in Michigan, easing the pathway to reciprocal licenses through expedited processing and waiving initial license and application fees.

Veteran Marion Gray holds a folded American flag (U.S. Dept. Veterans Affairs)

Veterans who are interested in registering a business in Michigan may also qualify for a waiver of fees for profit corporations, limited liability companies and nonprofit corporations. Learn more here: Veterans Fee Waiver.

“LARA is proud to show appreciation for members of the armed forces and their families by offering initial license/registration and application fee waivers,” said Marlon I. Brown, acting director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. “Our department offers several licensing supports for those currently serving and for those service members transitioning from active duty. LARA also counts military training and experiences toward fulfilling the requirements for certain licenses.”

Michigan as a “Startup State” for veterans

West Michigan’s veteran-care facility flies a 30- by 50-foot flag just off Monroe Avenue NE across from Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park. (Courtesy, WKTV/K.D. Norris)

Brian L. Love, director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), said small businesses are the backbone of the Michigan economy and a key part of the state’s “Make it in Michigan” economic development strategy.

“We want Michigan to be the ‘startup state’ by being the best place for veterans to start their own businesses,” Love said. “When veterans return home, they bring with them a unique skillset that is invaluable in the entrepreneurial space.

“The MVAA is here to support veterans as they return home and enter the civilian workforce or start their own small business. We know having meaningful employment saves lives and we are glad small business owners go beyond thanking our vets for their service and recognize their service by hiring them and promoting them.”

Resources for veterans

For more information on professional and entrepreneurial development for veteran-owned businesses, small business training and counseling, networking opportunities and mentoring programs, visit Veterans Entrepreneurship, the U.S. Office of Veterans Business Development or Michigan SBDC.

The MVAA helps connect veterans with federal, state and local benefits and resources they earned for their service. To learn more, veterans can contact the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET or visit www.michigan.gov/MVAA.

Read the proclamation

View the proclamation here: Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2023: Veterans Small Business Week.

12th annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest inspires creativity in all ages

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What’s Your Story: Write Michigan’s annual short story contest provides a chance for all ages to be published and win money (Courtesy, Kent District Library)

By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org

Michigan writers of all ages are invited to enter the 12th annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest. 

Kent District Library is pleased to present this annual contest that drew 1,250 entries in 2022. The Write Michigan contest offers separate categories for youth, teens and adults. Winning entries will be published, and the top writers will receive cash prizes. 

“This contest gives writers the opportunity to reach their goal of getting published,” said Katie Zuidema, Marketing Communications Specialist at KDL. “Not only do writers have the chance to win $500, but their story could also be available to the masses on bookstore and library shelves across the state.”

Winners of the Write Michigan contest will be published and earn cash prizes (Courtesy, Kent District Library)

Stories can be submitted at writemichigan.org through Thursday, Nov. 30. Details include a 3,000-word maximum length; $10 entry fee for ages 18 and above, free for 17 and under; current Michigan residents only; all entries must be submitted online. 

Three cash prizes will be given in each of the three categories ― Judges’ Choice ($500), Readers’ Choice ($250) and Judges’ Choice Runner-up ($250). The top ten stories in each category will be reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of published authors, editors, professors and literary agents. A public vote will determine the winners of Readers’ Choice.

Gary Schmidt, multiple award-winning author and Michigan resident, will be the keynote speaker at the 2024 Write Michigan awards ceremony in March. Schmidt will also be writing the foreword to the anthology, which is published by Chapbook Press. 

“Write Michigan is truly a statewide effort,” says Josh Mosey, one of the organizers of the contest. “Kent District Library couldn’t put on the short story contest without our partners, including Schuler Books, Michigan Learning Channel, Capital Area District Library and Canton Public Library.”

Those who enjoy reading stories are encouraged to sign up to be a volunteer story reviewer at writemichigan.org/volunteer. 

Those interested can join an online community of writers through Facebook (facebook.com/WriteMichigan) and Instagram (@write.michigan). Get encouragement, writing tips, challenges and more while you plot out your award-winning short story.

Kent District Library is offering a programming series geared towards writers and aspiring writers, covering topics like getting published, freelance writing, self-editing and creating compelling characters. For more details, including dates, times and locations, visit writemichigan.org/writers-conference.

For more information on Write Michigan, visit  writemichigan.org.  

State Rep. Skaggs pushes for redesign of state’s flag

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By Andrew Roth
Capital News Service

Michigan’s state flag is based on the state’s 1835 coat of arms. Credit: State of Michigan

LANSING – Step out onto your front porch and count how many state flags you see flying in the wind.

For many Michigan residents, the answer is likely zero, even at homes that proudly display the U.S. flag or a flag affiliated with their favorite college sports team.

That’s a problem, according to state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids – and one that he hopes can be addressed with a new design.

“Michigan is a unique and special state, and we need to have a flag that itself is unique and special so that we can rally behind it,” said Skaggs, whose district includes the City of Kentwood. “A good flag with strong symbolism that’s meaningful to people creates a common sense of purpose. That’s something that we need in Michigan right now.”

Flag is Just a ‘Seal-on-a-bedsheet’

Rep. Phil Skaggs
State Rep. Phil Skaggs

The heart of the issue is that there is nothing that makes the current flag – which consists of the state coat of arms set against a plain blue background – stand out, Skaggs said.

“The current flag harkens back to 150 years ago when most state flags were simply what are called SOB flags: seal-on-a-bedsheet,” Skaggs said. “The seal on our flag makes sense as a seal, when it’s on a piece of paper or a podium, but it doesn’t make sense as a flag that’s flying at a distance.”

Michigan’s coat of arms dates back to 1835, according to the Michigan Department of State, and features a shield held by an elk and a moose. It includes the Latin phrases “Tuebor,” meaning “I will defend,” and “Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice,” meaning “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” It also includes the national motto “e pluribus unum” which means “out of many, one.”

Key to a Good Flag: Simplicity

Skaggs intends to introduce a bill at the end of April to coincide with the current flag’s anniversary.

It would create a commission to create a design for the Legislature to vote on after taking public input and working with design experts.

There are five characteristics of a good flag, according to a 16-page guide: “Good” Flag, “Bad” Flag. The guide pulls from the expertise of 20 vexillologists (people who study flags) and vexillographers (people who design flags).

Those five elements are: simplicity, with the flag being simple enough for an elementary school child to draw it from memory; using only a few colors, preferably two or three that contrast with each other; including meaningful symbolism through images, colors and patterns; not using lettering or seals; and being distinctive enough to stand out from other state flags.

The flags of the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Togo and South Africa follow these rules, Skagg said.

Creating a Sense of Connection

People often don’t feel a sense of connection to the flag or view it as something they identify with, as evidenced by the lack of residents embracing the current design, Skaggs said.

“One of the ways that you can tell the flag lacks meaningfulness for Michigan citizens is that you rarely see it flown at a house, or on someone’s backpack, or their water bottle,” he said. “If you go to Chicago, you see that Chicago city flag everywhere, and it creates an incredible sense of civic pride. We just don’t see that in Michigan with our current flag.”

Skaggs said other states with ineffective flags are also beginning to change. Illinois, Massachusetts and Minnesota all have active or planned legislation to change the design of their state flags.

And Utah recently approved a new flag design, which Skaggs said “changes it from a very basic seal-on-a-bedsheet flag to one that really has meaningful symbolism for that state.”

It features a jagged white ribbon in the middle, representing snowy mountains, cutting into red rocks at the bottom and a blue sky at the top. In the center, there is a beehive (Utah is known as the beehive state) inside a hexagon, and it also includes a guiding star to represent Utah’s tribal nations.

Utah traditional state flag was redesigned. Credit: State of Utah.
Utah’s new state flag is inspiring other states to take another look. Credit: State of Utah.

KDL Let It Snow: Going local on the local indie/Michigan author book list

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By Kent District Library

Photo by Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” skyrocketed to the top upon release earning several awards including a Printz Medal Winner, William C. Morris Award, American Indian Youth Literature Award Best Young Adult Honor, and was a Reese Witherspoon x Hllo Sunshine Book Club YA Pick.

Set in Sault Ste. Marie, the story follows Daunis Fontaine, a half-native, half-white young adult who witnesses her best friend’s murder by the hand of her friend’s boyfriend. She decides to protect her family and her culture by becoming involved an FBI investigation revolving around a new drug that mixes meth with Ojibwa herbs.

Boulley, who is enrolled member of the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, was born in Sault Ste. Marie. She is a graduate of Central Michigan University and has worked in Indian education at the tribal, state and national levels including becoming the director fo the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Boulley’s book is just one of the many recommendations on the KDL Let It Snow Local Indie/Michigan Authors. Other books on the list are Jenison author Tobin T. Buhk’s “Cold Case Michigan,” a look at several unsolved Michigan murders, and Shona Buchana’s “Black Indian,”  a memoir of being African American with American Indian roots and how her family dealt with not just society’s ostracization but the consequences of this dual inheritance.

Adults and teens (11+) who participate in the Let It Snow and read a minimum of six books in different categories between Jan. 3 and March 31 will receive a collectible Let It Snow 2023 ceramic mug. Participants who finish an additional four titles will be entered into a Power Reader drawing to win an Amazon Kindle Scribe with stylus pen or other prizes. 

Environment links to cancer focus of new Michigan study

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By Cameryn Cass
Capital News Service

A new University of Michigan study aims to understand how environmental exposures in Michigan contribute to cancer.

Sara Snyder is project director of the Michigan Cancer and Research on the Environment Study, or MI-CARES. (Credit: University of Michigan)

The Michigan Cancer and Research on the Environment Study, or MI-CARES, is largely motivated by Michigan’s history of toxic environmental exposures and environmental injustice, said Sara Snyder, the project director.

Researchers are recruiting 100,000 ethnically diverse, cancer-free Michiganders ages 25 to 44. It’s a statewide survey, but they’ll focus enrollment on what they’ve identified as six major environmental injustice hotspots: the Detroit metropolitan area, Saginaw, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Flint, Snyder said.

Environmental injustice refers to people who belong to groups that are discriminated against and are disproportionately exposed to contaminants and other health hazards.

June 1 marked the soft launch to test the website used to recruit candidates. People enroll every day, but the study’s full launch was earlier this fall.

A first in Michigan

“Nothing like this has been done in the state of Michigan before, which is almost shocking if you know about the levels of environmental injustice that have taken place,” said Lilah Khoja, a doctoral student at the University of Michigan on the MI-CARES team.

“There isn’t a community in Michigan that hasn’t been impacted in some way by environmental injustice,” she said.

It dates back decades: the PBB contamination of dairy products in the 1970s, the Flint water crisis, industrial pollution in Detroit and now PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment, Snyder said.

The project, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the University of Michigan, will track participants through annual questionnaires for at least six years, Snyder said.

 

They’ll be asked about employment and residential histories, race, ethnicity, major health and life events and overall lifestyle to gauge participant health and previous exposures to industrial chemicals or other contaminants, Snyder said.

 

Beyond cancer, the surveys might also shed light on how exposures to chemicals in the environment cause heart disease, asthma or even Alzheimer’s disease, said Dana Dolinoy, the principal investigator of biomarker evaluations for MI-CARES.

Compiling the data needed for change

Such surveys have a proven track record. For instance, cancer rates are significantly higher in Flint compared to the rest of Genesee County and the state after lead contaminated the city’s water supply.

“My cousin, my aunt, my friend have all died of cancer,” said Arthur Woodson, a Flint resident and community activist. “People are dying in high numbers here of cancer.”

 

Community activists at the Pittsfield Farmers Market offer information about MI-CARES. Credit: MI-CARES.

Such anecdotal reports can be reinforced by hard data produced by health studies from the Genesee County Health Department proving elevated cancer levels in the area.

A study recently published in JAMA Network Open found that 1 in 5 Flint residents have presumptive major depression and another 1 in 4 have presumptive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“They fixed the water, but they didn’t fix the people,” Woodson said.

Providing people with the data they need

A large goal of MI-CARES is to give people access to data that will help them advocate for a cleaner environment and a healthier life, Khoja said.

“You can’t advocate for change if you don’t have the numbers to show that this is why it needs to change,” she said.

Cancer-centric studies like this one, whether linking it to smoking, a lack of physical activity or poor diet, played a role in a 29% drop in cancer death rates between 1991 and 2017, according to the American Cancer Society.

 

MI-CARES’ data will help improve Michiganders’ health while informing policy to reduce environmental injustices and harmful exposures, Snyder said.

 

Researchers looked at what was going on in the state and narrowed the study’s focus to the most prominent of the 80,000 chemicals in the environment: exposure to metals, like lead, chemicals in personal care products, air pollution and PFAS, Dolinoy said.

Addressing the issues

Michigan has the highest known PFAS levels of any state.

To measure some contaminants like lead, participants from the six environmental injustice hotspots will send in blood and saliva. These measurements, called intermediate biomarkers, show if a past environmental exposure changed the epigenome – the instruction book telling genes how to behave – to make them more susceptible to cancer and other diseases, Dolinoy said.

The study focuses on a younger population so that researchers might recognize any diseases before they manifest, Dolinoy said.

 

“This gives us time to intervene and treat individuals, because when the disease is already on board, it’s really hard to reverse it,” she said.

There’s evidence, though, that relatively easier things like changes in lifestyle and diet might reverse changes to that epigenetic instruction book, especially early in life, Dolinoy said.

Building a better tomorrow

The hope is to inspire policy intervention with MI-CARES findings, forcing industry and other institutions responsible for poisoning the environment to change. That is a challenge that the health survey hopes to meet.

“It’s very difficult to translate some of this science in a way that will directly change the economics of a company,” Dolinoy said. “But studies like MI-CARES can provide a weight of evidence that shows our environment can negatively contribute to disease status.”

 

To apply to be part of the survey, visit https://micares.health and click “Join the Movement!” Applicants must be 25 to 44 years old and cancer-free.

Cameryn Cass reports for Great Lakes Echo.

Kent County has seven roads on the best Michigan roads for color list

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By Liam Jackson
Capital News Network

As Michigan enters peak color season, local officials across the state have nominated the best roads for motorists to enjoy the changing foliage.

Peak Michigan colors were predicted to start last weekend in the Upper Peninsula and end at the state’s southern border Oct. 29. The County Road Association of Michigan compiled the statewide list of “don’t miss” local roads.

For a complete list of the fall color list, click here.

The more than 120 roads span the state.

The County Road Association named more than 120 routes as best for fall color, including the Fallasburg covered bridge in Kent County. (Courtesy, Kent County Road Commission)

There are plenty to choose from.

Michigan has the nation’s fourth-largest local road system. County roads account for 90,000 miles of roads and 5,700 bridges. Although the road association puts the list together, it relies on county officials for scenic road nominations.

All county road commissions were asked what county roads they would recommend to people who are interested in breathtaking fall views, said Dustin Earley, the manager of communications and engagement with the County Road Association of Michigan.

The association asks local commissioners to say, “Look, here’s my favorite road in my backyard,” Earley said.

Fallasburg a favorite in Kent County

“I just think as Michiganders we are really lucky because I’m not sure there is another state that is more beautiful in the fall,” said Maura Lamoreaux, the communications director for the Kent County Road Commission. “You can travel and just enjoy the colors of the season.”

Kent County has seven roads on the “don’t miss” list. Fallasburg Park Drive in Vergennes Township, 15 miles east of Grand Rapids, is one that stands out, Lamoreaux said.

“Fallasburg Park is not only a gorgeous ride, but it is also a beautiful park to take in the fall colors,” she said.

The Fallasburg covered bridge in Kent County sits on a route that made the list of best fall color roads in Michigan. (Courtesy, Kent County Road Commission)

The park’s covered bridge is a registered historical site that celebrated its 150th anniversary last year.

“You kind of feel like you are traveling back in time a little bit,” Lamoreaux said. “There is a sign that says ‘You will be charged $5 for speeding,’ which is a replica of the original sign that was posted on the bridge.”

Kent County promotes a local route with fall scenic views that is hundreds of miles long, Lamoreaux said. The county picks a few stretches of road to add to the statewide list.

Other roads in Kent County

  • Honey Creek Avenue from Pettis Avenue to Cannonsburg Road
  • Bailey Drive from Vergennes Street to Lincoln Lake Avenue
  • 5 Mile Road from Lincoln Lake Avenue to Gavin Lake Avenue
  • Gavin Lake Road from 5-mile road to Belding Road
  • Wabasis Avenue from Belding Road to 12 Mile Road
  • Ramsdell Drive from 5 Mile Road to 11 Mile Road

Roads in Ottawa County

  • Lakeshore Drive from Grand Haven city limits to Ottawa Beach Road/Holland State Park
  • Hayes Street from M-11 intersection to Berlin Fair Drive/the Berlin Fairgrounds in Marne
  • Leonard Street from intersection on Leonard Street/S. Lake Avenue in Village of Spring Lake to Lamont
  • Mercury Drive/Green Street/N. Cedar Drive from Grand Haven to Riverside County Park

Pure Michigan lists peak color dates by region here: https://www.michigan.org/fallcolormap

Lakeshore Drive popular in the Upper Peninsula

Chippewa County in the northeast part of the Upper Peninsula has four roads on the list.

The all-star route is Lakeshore Drive that runs along Lake Superior through the Bay Mills reservation between M-123 and Brimley, said Stephanie Boileau, a road design engineer for the Chippewa County Road Commision. “It doesn’t matter what time of year, it’s gorgeous.”

The route features Lake Superior, a tree canopy, the Bay Mills reservation, the Point Iroquois Lighthouse and multiple access points to beaches.

 

“It’s fantastic,” said Boileau. “It’s a road that makes you think, ‘Yes, this is why people love the Upper Peninsula so much.’”

When suggesting roads for the “don’t miss” list, she thinks about people looking to do fall color tours, Boileau said.

“We are looking for those deciduous hardwood trees, the ones that do turn color,” she said. “I also look at what other scenic opportunities you have besides trees. Is there interesting topography? Are there places to pull off and access recreational areas like a beach or state park?”

She prefers more rural areas and avoids submitting commuter routes.

It’s all about getting the best views

“Peak color means that if you can make it to that area within that time frame, you are probably increasing your chances at getting the best views of that color,” Earley said. “Earlier, things are just coming on and near the end of that date the leaves are starting to turn brown and fall off the trees.”

The association lists the roads every year. It subtracts roads undergoing construction or if the county chooses to have it removed. But the list is growing, not shrinking, Earley said.

Tourists are not the only ones benefiting from scenic fall tours in Michigan.

“Most everyone benefits when we have a good fall color season,” said Tony Haller, the executive director of the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our restaurants benefit from it, our hotels benefit from it, all our convenience stores and gas stations get people filling up for gas while they make their tours.

“I couldn’t name a favorite, but that’s the beauty of this list. It’s really the experts of these areas that are helping us list these roads.”

ABOUT LIAM JACKSON

Liam Jackson is a journalist from Trenton, Michigan. He enrolled at Michigan State in 2018. His journalistic interests include feature stories and sports journalism. In addition to writing for Spartan Newsroom, Liam has also served as the News Editor and Sports Editor at Impact 89FM.

Explore the Michigan legends of Dogman and Bigfoot

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By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

Bigfoot sightings go back centuries with documation of feet and hand prints. (pxhere.com)

Bigfoot vs. Dogman!!! We proposed that question as our “Final Thought” on episode 42 of Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcast. Offering insights and opposing opinions was our featured guest Linda Pomranky of Michigan Sasquatch Experience and the lead investigator of the Michigan Chapter of North American Dogman Project Shetan Not was our guest co-host.

We learned that Michigan offers equal opportunity for both Bigfoot and Dogman as our prime real estate includes dense forests, swamps, vast farmland, plenty of fresh water, and abundant small game. Roughly 53% of Michigan is forest with more than 19 million acres considered timberland. With three national forests and six state forests we have the largest state forest system in the nation. Our state borders four of the five Great Lakes and with all our rivers, streams, and inland lakes we are never more than six miles from fresh water.

According to folklore, the Michigan Dogman was first witnessed by Lumberjacks in 1887 in Wexford County and was described as seven foot tall with blue or amber eyes with a dog’s head and human body and a chilling scream like a person. The legend was popularized in 1987 by a radio personality from WTCM radio. An abbreviated version of Steve Cook’s song says, “A cool summer morning in early June, is when the legend began, at a nameless logging camp in Wexford County where the Manistee River ran.” It goes on to say a logger named Johnson chased what they thought was a dog into a log, poking it with a stick. It let out an unearthly scream and came out of the log, and stood upright. The song goes on to say, “Somewhere in the north-woods darkness, a creature walks upright, and the best advice you may ever get is never go out, at night.” Artistic renditions of Dogman portray a fierce beast and are truly frightening.

Artistic depictions of Bigfoot are not nearly as ominous. Bigfoot sightings go back centuries, are worldwide and in every culture and continent except Antarctica. It’s believed sightings often go unreported. Bigfoot sightings have been reported as close as Grand Rapids and Kent County as well as Ottawa, Muskegon, Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Jackson, and Oscoda counties.  “Hot Spots” in Michigan appear to be Cheboygan/Black River, West Branch/Rifle River, Traverse City, and the western part of the Upper Peninsula. Michigan ranks in the top 10 among other states for Bigfoot sightings, sometimes as high as fourth.

Bigfoot sightings have been documented all over the world. (pxhere.com)

According to the experts, Sasquatch assets include the defensive abilities to blend in with the landscape completely camouflaged and an infrasound stunning roar that has a paralyzing effect. Communication is achieved through a language of whistles, knocks, growls, whoop howls, and high pitched screams. It’s said they talk to each other with a kind of “Samurai chatter.” Bigfoot evidence is compelling and extensive, including: encounters/sighting many by hunters, footprints, vocalizations, broken branches, beds, nests, musty/moldy smell, thousands of photos, footprint castings, hand prints, hand castings, body impressions, scat, and hair.

 

Sasquatch has many names depending on the area; “hairy giant” on the Pacific Northwest, Ohio Grassman, Florida Skunk Ape, Himalayan Yeti/Abominable Snowman, “Chinese Wildman”- Ojibwa “Wildman”, “Stinky Beast”, and perhaps the Kentucky Bearilla.  My Bigfoot people tell me you might smell a Sasquatch before you see it so “Skunk Ape” may provide the best description.

While Bigfoot appears to be omnipresent, luckily according to the Legend of the Michigan Dogman, it will only visit every 10 years or years ending in seven, so we are good until 2027. “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” Check back in about six years!!!    

St. Joseph kicks off the season with Luminary

Entertainment, Food, Great Lakes, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, West Michigan, ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

The holiday season will begin with the warm glow of hundreds of luminaries lining the streets of downtown St. Joseph from 5-8 p.m on Friday, Nov. 19. Luminary, sponsored by United Federal Credit Union, creates a joyful atmosphere for all ages to enjoy sales/promotions, specialty items, drawings/giveaways, free gift wrapping and gift ideas galore from participating restaurants and shopkeepers.

“All ages are invited to head downtown for this festive event,” said Amy Zapal, executive director of St. Joseph Today. “Whether you’re looking to enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate, grab a sweet treat, or get a jump start on your holiday gift shopping, it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season.”

Additionally, St. Joe Today will kick off the holiday music in downtown St. Joseph during Luminary weekend. Zapal says, “SJT added holiday music throughout downtown in 2019 as part of Window Wonderland.” Zapal goes on to say, “Last year we wanted to start the holiday festivities a little earlier during the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. We are excited to continue the tradition and to spread a little extra cheer this year!”



For more information on Luminary, visit stjoetoday.com/luminary.

Search for Isle Royale’s bone bounty yields environmental clues, new friends, wilderness salvation

3-bottom, Education, Environment, Great Lakes, Pets/Animals, Recreation, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, , ,

By Marshall Lee Weimer
Capital News Service

I was on the hunt for teeth.

The rich, dark, wet earth forced itself under my fingernails as I scratched through roots and a few beetles.

But no teeth. I needed those teeth.

Or that’s what Clay Ecklund, my expedition leader, told our team of volunteer bone seekers on Isle Royale National Park. I squatted in the middle of a thick cedar swamp with John Warming and Lada Zednik. Nearby, Hal Hanson, another member of our group, sat behind a few downed trees, resting from an arduous hike through nearly unnavigable terrain.

There was another presence. Or what remained of one. We were at a moose calf’s final resting place, trying to piece together its skeleton. All the bones were there, the mandibles, the metatarsus, parts of the skull. But no teeth.

We needed the teeth.

I couldn’t tell where I was. I knew I was on an island wilderness in the middle of Lake Superior. But where exactly on the island, only the GPS knew that. North was somewhere over my left shoulder.

We were sweaty, exhausted and fighting off the summer’s first mosquitoes. We had gotten turned around an hour earlier and realized we had to go through the cedar thicket to find another water source. It was then that I realized I had sprained my ankle stepping off a dead log two hours earlier.

Search for Isle Royale’s bone bounty yields environmental clues, new friends, wilderness salvation (Capital News Service)

It slowly swelled in my boot. By dinner, I couldn’t walk.

Most people don’t experience national parks this way, especially on their first visit. But I had the special opportunity to participate in a volunteer backpacking expedition known as the Moosewatch Expedition.

Since 1988, the expedition has sought volunteer backpackers for a citizen science project. You set off from the dock where the boat from the mainland drops you and then hike deep into the backcountry. The goal is to collect as many moose bones as you can in a weeklong trek across the island. There are four expeditions from mid-May to late July.

This is easier said than done. This expedition is completely off-trail, meaning no paved paths, trail markers or campgrounds. Navigation is done with a compass and a pocket GPS marked with kill site coordinates – places where scientists know wolves have eaten moose. Sometimes the bones were super easy finds. Other times it took hours of searching to find a single vertebra.

Ecklund said the first expedition of the summer has the easiest time finding bones since the understory of ferns hasn’t filled in yet. “It’s nearly impossible to find the bones in July.”

We arranged our five-member group into a long, spread out line. We then all hiked forward into the wilderness, keeping our eyes peeled for bones. Visual contact with another volunteer was always maintained. Otherwise, the island quickly became an endless maze of maples and spruce.

When a bone or antler is found, you shout “BONE!” to the rest of the team. That was the cue to fan out and search the area for the creature’s remains. We carried the bones we found to a central location where the team leader cataloged and photographed the partial skeleton.

All bones must be carried out on foot as there are no roads on the island. Thankfully, not all the bones need to be carried out. Only the skulls, mandibles (the jawbone) and metatarsus (the foot bone) are needed. The teeth I was looking for help determine a moose’s age. These bones tell the researchers all they need to know about the moose.

“The bones are super-valuable,” said Sarah Hoy, a research assistant professor at Michigan Tech University, who studies the island’s moose and wolf populations. She helps lead the university’s moose-wolf survey, the longest recorded predator-prey survey in the world.

The volunteer expedition has helped build the world’s largest collection of moose bones, she said. Those bones help researchers study other things.

A moose skull takes on a new, mossy life on Isle Royale. (Marshall Lee Weimer)

Among them is air quality. Moose store heavy metals from the air in their teeth.

Researchers measured the impact of the U.S. Clean Air Act by analyzing the heavy metal content of moose teeth. Since the bone collection is so old, they could compare lead and mercury levels in teeth from before and after the law was strengthened in 1970. Researchers saw heavy metal levels in the teeth drop dramatically in the early 1980s, showing that air quality had improved.

Disease is another thing the bone collection helps us understand.

We learn a lot about human arthritis from moose arthritis, said Rolf Peterson, a research professor who has studied the wolves and moose of Isle Royale for more than 50 years. Isle Royale moose have an unusually high rate of arthritis compared to mainland ones. Although it is not conclusive, Peterson said the study has shown lifelong health problems like arthritis could be linked to poor nutrition early in life.

Unlike with humans, we can study how arthritis affects moose throughout their lives, Peterson said. “We can’t experiment on people.”

Peterson has been with Moosewatch since its beginning in 1988 and has collected a lot of data and life-long friends from the program. It is a great way to spread the word about science and to get people involved, he said. “Science shouldn’t be an exclusive activity.”

The hands-on science was a fascinating look at moose. But I learned just as much about another mammal of Isle Royale: people.

With about 18,000 visitors each year, Isle Royale is the least-visited national park in the continental U.S. However, it is America’s most revisited national park. My fellow Moosewatchers taught me why.

Larry Fuerst, a retired commercial pilot from Fenton, has been on Moosewatch since 2009. The isolation and ruggedness bring him back. He likes to turn his brain off and just listen to the island.

“Listening to nothing really is something,” he said.

Adrienne Detancio, an organic gardener from Chicago, had already been to the island three times, but this was her first Moosewatch. Hanson recruited her on the ferry home after she had finished a solo trip across Isle Royale. To her, the island is magical.

“It’s like the island is alive in a weird way,” she said.

Ron Eckoff knows the most about that comradery of the group as the longest returning volunteer. A retired public health official, he was on the second expedition in 1989 and has since returned to the island 33 times – 26 with Moosewatch.

Before joining, Eckoff, who is from Iowa, had no backpacking experience. But since then, he has amassed hundreds of stories from those expeditions. His favorite expedition was in 1996 when there was a massive die-off of moose and 3 feet of snow. The harbor bay was frozen, so the volunteers had to snowshoe over ice to the coastline.

“There were dead moose everywhere,” he said.

Ron Porrit, a retired Navy veteran from Hudsonville, was also on that 1996 expedition. Since the moose had not yet decomposed, the carcasses were much heavier, he said “A bull moose head with its antlers can easily weigh 60 pounds.”

Eckoff carried three heads out that year.

In our week on the island, my expedition recovered the remains of 26 moose.

But I never did find those moose teeth. Nor did I see a moose.

But I found so much more. The island is full of life, both human and inhuman. I saw sucker fish spawning and spiders crawling. And, for the first time, I heard wolves howling.

I learned bird calls, hacks for backpacking gear and heard stories about meeting serial killers and suffering injuries much worse than mine.

The richness of wildness on Isle Royale far made up for my twisted ankle.

While I left the island, I thought about a quote from Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century naturalist and thinker. It sums up Isle Royale’s meaning to all who dwell in its forests:

“In wildness is the salvation of the world.”

Marshall Lee Weimer writes for Great Lakes Echo.

Butterflies, beaches and a lighthouse

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , ,

By Jim DuFresne
Capital News Service

 

From mid-August through September, Peninsula Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is known for “monarch madness.”

Monarch butterflies use Peninsula Point in the Hiawatha National Forest as a staging area before crossing Lake Michigan on route to Mexico. (Department of Natural Resources)

That’s when huge numbers of the distinctive orange butterfly migrate from Minnesota, Wisconsin and the U.P. south to Mexico, a 1,900-mile journey for an insect with a wingspan of less than 4 inches.

Waves of monarchs use Peninsula Point as a staging area before attempting the long open water crossing of Lake Michigan. At the peak of the migration in early September a decade ago, you could witness 3,000 or more monarchs fluttering in a handful of trees at this Hiawatha National Forest day-use area at the end of Stonington Peninsula.

Since then, climate change and deforestation of the insect’s mountainous winter habitat in central Mexico has greatly harmed the monarch population. It’s estimated that the Eastern species has declined by more than 80% since the 1980s, but it’s still an amazing migration. And it’s best seen today in Michigan at Peninsula Point.

Can’t make it for the monarch madness? Come whenever you can.

The brick lighthouse at Peninsula Point is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Department of Natural Resources)

This small spit of land is loaded with history, excellent birding opportunities and a lighthouse that visitors can climb for a watery panoramic of Lake Michigan.

The centerpiece of the day-use area is Peninsula Point Lighthouse.

Congress authorized its construction in 1864 because wooden sailing ships, hauling lumber, iron ore and fish from Escanaba, Gladstone and Fayette, were no match for the treacherous shoals that separate Big Bay de Noc from Little Bay de Noc.

The structure was built in 1865 and consisted of a 40-foot tower, lit by an oil lamp and reflectors, and an adjoining home for the lightkeeper and family.

The light went out for the last time in 1936, but the view from the point was so spectacular that the U.S. Forest Service converted it into a public picnic area in 1937. The lightkeeper’s house burned to the ground in 1959, but the brick tower survived and today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Peninsula Point is also an important migration stopover for birds traveling up the Lake Michigan shore. Spring migrations can be exceptional, a time when birders can sight more than 200 species.

Peninsula Point Interpretive Trail (MichiganTrailsMap.com)

Much of the point is forested, and winding through the trees or skirting the shoreline is an interpretive trail and a rugged single-lane dirt road. The two can be combined for a scenic hike, a 2.2-mile loop from the RV parking area at the end of the pavement to the picnic grounds that surrounded the lighthouse.
In addition, the nearby Maywood History Trail features an old growth hemlock forest on the west shore of Stonington Peninsula.

Jim DuFresne of MichiganTrailMaps.com is a Michigan State University journalism alumnus.

SWMI Tourist Council encourages visitors to get ‘creative’ with new tourism game

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , ,
Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council just released its Creative Connections game that will run through April 30, 2022. (Provided)

By Millicent Huminsky
Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council

The arts, music and theater scene is thriving in Southwest Michigan. Now it’s more fun than ever to discover this region’s creative side by playing Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council’s new Creative Connections game between now and April 30, 2022. Laugh, be awed, meet the artists and send your spirits soaring while earning cool, artsy prizes along the way.

“Our Southwest Michigan region is very fortunate to have a vibrant and comprehensive arts scene,” said Mike Nadolski, executive director of The Mendel Center, one of the 16 game destinations. “The arts add significantly to the quality of life for all by entertaining, educating and inspiring us. Creative Connections is a fun and easy way to learn more about some of the many varied arts organizations our region has to offer.”

Here’s how the game works:

  1. Pick up a Creative Connections brochure. You’ll be able to request one online or at any of the Creative Connections destinations.
  2. Visit the Creative Connections destinations (listed below). Each business will have a door decal or a flag signifying their role in the game.
  3. Show your brochure and collect a stamp at each location you visit. Each destination has a personalized stamp.
  4. Collect stamps to earn prizes starting at just three Creative Connections stops.
  5. Return your brochure to the Tourist Council to be validated for prizes. Your prizes and brochure will be mailed back to you so you can continue playing.
  6. All brochures must be sent for validation by May 9, 2022. You must be 18 years or older to play.

“It’s not always the case that you can play a game, be enriched and win prizes, too,” Nadolski said. “You already win just by dabbling or fully immersing yourself in an art museum, dance studio, performance, concert or gallery. Plus, you never know — you might find a piece of art or an experience that awakens a creative impulse and sends you into a new and exciting direction. That’s the transformative power of art.”

Creative Connections destinations include: The Acorn, ARS Gallery, Arts & Culture Center, Box Factory for the Arts, Buchanan Arts Center, Citadel Dance & Music Center, Chartreuse Art Gallery, The Gallery at Harbor Shores, The GhostLight Theatre, The History Center at Courthouse Square (Berrien County Historical Association), JLN Studio, Krasl Art Center, The Mendel Center of Lake Michigan College, Silver Beach Carousel, Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Twin City Players and Water Street Glassworks.

Learn more about each destination and the prizes you can earn at https://swmichigan.org/creative. You’ll also find helpful FAQs, game instructions, the online brochure request and more.

“I would love to see arts enthusiasts flock to our area and spend a night or more in one of our local hotels so they can experience the arts scene while also touring the countryside, visiting our wineries, shops, restaurants, shorelines and golf courses,” Nadolski said. “When you package it all up, we really have a spectacular and highly accessible arts scene with the quality and diversity you might expect to find in a region much larger than ours.”

The Southwest Michigan Tourist Council connects visitors and locals alike with things to do in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties. View their curated itineraries, Makers Trail destinations, blogs, trail guides, newsletters and more online. For more information, visit https://swmichigan.org or https://www.facebook.com/swmtc/, or call 269-925-6301.

Michigan launches free app designed to protect mobile devices from threats

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , ,
Now available to download for free is the Michigan Secure app. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

There are no bells or whistles or even alarms; just a simple text message to your phone as you walk into the store: “CAUTION: The Unknown network you are connected to is not encrypted. Please avoid any private or confidential transactions unless using secure Websites…”

The message comes from a free app, called Michigan Secure, which is designed to help Michigan residents navigate an increasingly technology-based world.

“Much of the activity that people do is online,” said the state’s Director of Communications Caleb Buhs. “Students taking classes to people making purchases.”

With the growing use of technology comes a high risk of people’s personal information getting stolen through threats, such as unsecured internet access, that most people don’t even realize are out there.

“It is designed to make people aware,” Buhs said. “If you are at the gym and suddenly decide to make a purchase for new equipment or clothing, the alert will come up that the internet is not secure. Maybe that is not the time to make that purchase.”

Developed by the Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget, the department in charge of keeping highly sensitive public information protected, the project was started two years ago because of the increase in cybersecurity crimes against both individuals and companies.

 

Many are familiar with the SolarWinds data breach, one of the largest data hacks in U.S. history, that resulted in more than 18,000 computer networks being sabotaged. There are also the everyday reminders of not to open emails from the IRS or Social Security as neither would contact people in such a way. According to Pew Research, more than 60 percent of Ameicans have personally experienced a major data breach. The cost of the average data breach to a U.S. company is around $8 million.

Buhs said with the recent pandemic, which forced many into remote work and classrooms, the risk of cyber attacks become even higher. In fact, because of the growing use of technology by municipalities and schools, institutions are facing more malicious cyber attacks. Just this March, a cyber attack on Microsoft focused on vulnerabilities in its exchange service, email software, and calendar resulting in 30,000 organizations getting hacked. More recently, college students across the nation are being warned about a phishing attack to steal students personal information to file false tax claims.

The message that appears when your phone connects to an unsecured Wi-Fi network. (WKTV)

The Michigan Secure app is designed to detect phishing risks by checking links. It also will alert a user to an unsecured Wi-Fi network, check apps before they are downloaded, and when a system has been tampered with. Michigan Secure even has a database of potential threat indicators to notify individuals of activity on their phone that matches a documented threat. Everything is designed for the user to determine what they want and do not want to use.

The Michigan Secure app is a free download from App Store or Google Play. The app runs on devices with iOS 11 or higher, Android 6.0 or higher and Chromebooks with Android App Support. 

“While the security of our mobile devices is critical, it is also important to respect people’s privacy,” DTMB Director and State Chief Information Officer Brom Stibitz said. “Michigan Secure does not require anyone to share their personal information or mobile data. It exists for the sole purpose of detecting threats and notifying the user.”

The Michigan Secure app does not collect, store, or monitor the personal information of users that download it. The app’s code and privacy configuration settings have received the approval of the American Civil Liberties Union for the way it protects individual privacy.

Within only a few days of release, which was earlier this year, the app had more than 1,000 downloads and interest continues to build. Buhs said he believes Michigan is the first state to offer such an app with only the City of New York having something similar. 

For more information about the app, visit Michigan.gov/MichiganSecureApp. Visit the Michigan Cybersecurity website at Michigan.gov/Cybersecurity for information ranging from how to practice proper cyber “hygiene” to learning about what to do if you are a victim of a cybercrime.

Snapshots: Things to do this weekend

3-bottom, Area Education, Education, Local Entertainment, Local History, , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Martin Luther King, Jr.


Pretty Lights

The wintery fun continues downtown with the exhibit “Ice Luminaries” running this weekend only, Jan. 29 – Feb. 2. The exhibit features 10 giant icicles with lights frozen in the center that will light the way along the Gillett Bridge located near Ah-Nab-Awen Park. While out and about, make sure to check out the other exhibits such as HYBYCOZO,” a series of large-scale installations and artworks that investigate geometric exploration and patterns through light, shadow, and perception, located at Ah-Nab-Awen Park. For more, click here.


Strike!

WKTV is presenting high school bowling this winter as part of its sports coverage. Hosted by WKTV volunteer Bill Rinderknecht, the WKTV Sports Connection recently sat down with the coaches of the East Kentwood bowling teams to talk about winter sports during the pandemic and the opportunity to have a bowling season. WKTV will be covering another bowling match this Monday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m.


Got a Second?

We are suppose to be getting a snowstorm on Sunday, which means you might have some downtime. If so, the Kent ISD Board of Education is asking community members for their input on Kent ISD’s next superintendent. The 14-question survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, asks participants to rank skills, character and education traits in determining what qualities would make a good superintendent. Surveys must be turned in by Jan. 31.


William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse on Detroit’s Belle Isle Park. (Wikipedia/Public Domain)

Fun Fact

Michigan has the distinction of the state with the most lighthouses and perhaps one of the most unique is the William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse, which is made entirely of George marble. Located on Detroit’s Belle Isle, the marble was selected because the builders knew that it would have to withstand Michigan weather. The 58-foot structure has a 47-foot shaft with a bronze light at the top that still functions today. It was completed in 1930 at the cost of about $100,000. William Livingstone was a prominent Detroit resident who was best known for his shipping accomplishments on the Great Lakes, including the creation of a deep-water channel in the lower Detroit River which became known as the Livingstone Channel. For a peek inside the lighthouse, click here.

Dennos Museum Center opens two new exhibits focusing on Michigan artists, architecture

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, ,

By Craig Hadley
Dennos Museum Center

The Dennos Museum Center’s fall exhibitions will open to the public on Tuesday, September 22nd and close on January 31, 2021. Instead of a members opening reception, we will hold two separate virtual Zoom events featuring James Haefner, the photographer of Michigan Modern, and Joel Zwart, Curator of Exhibitions at the Grand Valley State University Art Gallery. Both will be joined by Curator of Education Jason Dake to discuss each exhibition and focus on several works in the galleries. Dates are yet to be determined for these events, but more information can be found at dennosmuseum.org/events/virtual-reception

Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy

This exhibit celebrates Michigan’s incredible modern architectural design history from 1928 through 2012. It is comprised of over 50 photographs by James Haefner primarily for the State Historic Preservation Office as part of their Michigan Modern Project, and featured in the book by State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway titled Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy. Several additional photographs from Mr. Haefner’s archives are also included. The buildings photographed were selected to represent the best modern architecture in all areas of the state focusing on the work of Michigan architects as well as internationally known architects who completed commissions in Michigan.

These photographs and the book continue the important work of the State Historic Preservation Office in studying and documenting Modernism in Michigan. Known as the Michigan Modern Project, it began in 2008 with extensive research and context development together with identification of significant Modern architecture in the state. This led to a dozen or so listings of Modern resources in the National Register of Historic Places together with the elevation of three properties to National Historic Landmark status: the Eero Saarinen designed General Motors Technical Center in Warren, the Mies van der Rohe designed Lafayette Park housing complex in Detroit, and Minoru Yamasaki’s McGregor Memorial Conference Center in Detroit. The Eliel Saarinen designed Cranbrook and the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio were already listed as National Historic Landmarks. The project revealed and documented the significant role Michigan played in the development of Modern design and received national attention.

Mathias J. Alten: An Artist at the Turn of the Century

The German-born American artist, Mathias Joseph Alten (1871-1938) immigrated to the United States in 1889 at the age of seventeen. His family settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a premier furniture-manufacturing center and desired location for immigrants in the late-nineteenth century. Here, amidst a rapidly changing world, Alten went on to establish a family, home, and studio for the entirety of his career.

GVSU students prepare works by Mathias Alten to be sent out our a travel exhibition. (Supplied/GVSU)

Over his career, Alten created more than 3,000 works of art, initially influenced by the Barbizon and Hague Schools and later by the Impressionism movement. He repeatedly sought out and celebrated traditional laborers and nostalgic settings even as modernization transformed life in the early twentieth-century. This exhibition celebrates Alten’s life and career with works of art, historic photographs, and personal artifacts drawn from the collection at Grand Valley State University.

GVSU currently holds the largest public collection of Mathias J. Alten. All artwork and objects included in this exhibition are on loan from the GVSU Art Gallery and the GVSU Special Collections & University Archives.

Learn more about Dennos Musuem exhibitions by visiting www.dennosmuseum.org

Signs installed opening the 99-mile Chain of Lakes Water Trail

3-bottom, Environment, Great Lakes

By Ellie Kirkpatrick
Paddle Antrim

Paddle Antrim announced that signs have been installed along the Chain of Lakes Water Trail, Northern Michigan’s only state designated water trail. From small lakes to big lakes, and meandering rivers, this trail provides a paddling experience for all skill levels. Whether kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding or fishing, there are opportunities for all to enjoy along this 99 mile long trail.

“While the lakes have always existed, the water trail provides the information people need to make decisions on where to paddle,” said Deana Jerdee, Executive Director of Paddle Antrim.  “We have worked with our partners to identify 84 access sites and consolidate the information so people know where they can launch, what amenities are available, what distances they will travel and more to help create a quality paddling experience.”

The Chain of Lakes Water Trail offers paddlers access to quaint communities along the trail including Ellsworth, Central Lake, Bellaire, and Elk Rapids. These towns all have access points that allow paddlers to easily walk into town to enjoy the plentiful amenities including restaurants, retail stores, outfitters, art galleries and more. “Over the last few years we have seen a steady incline in our paddle sport rentals,” said Patrick Boyd, owner of Paddles and Pedals, located in downtown Bellaire.  “Word about the water trail is getting out and with the current pandemic more people are craving access to nature. We love seeing paddlers out on the water enjoying the beauty of the area.”

Paddle Antrim has been working on the Chain of Lakes Water Trail since 2015. The trail depends on access sites identified and approved by 19 governmental and nonprofit entities.  Signs have been placed near the water’s edge at each access site so paddlers can identify where to exit from the water. Additional information on stewardship, safety, paddling experiences, and more can be found on kiosks at main and secondary access sites. “The emphasis on stewardship included in the water trail signs is essential to educate new and experienced paddlers about ways to protect our waterways,” said Christine Crissman, Executive Director of The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay. “The appreciation paddlers have for clean, healthy water distinctively motivates them to prevent concerns such as shoreline erosion and spreading aquatic invasive species.”

In addition to the signs being installed, Paddle Antrim has launched a new website with all the Chain of Lakes Water Trail information that paddlers need in order to plan a safe and fun trip. The non-profit is in the final stages of developing a waterproof Paddler’s Guide which will be available for purchase on their website. These tools are meant to help paddlers plan ahead to ensure a fun and safe experience and remind them of safety measures and stewardship.

 

Paddle Antrim raised $275,000 for the launch of the water trail, which includes the installation of these signs. The non-profit is grateful to Consumers Energy Foundation, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Rosso Family Foundation, Rotary Charities of Traverse City, The Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation and many other donors, partners, and supporters who helped make this project a success.

For more information about the Chain of Lakes, visit Paddle Antrim’s website or visit www.michiganwatertrails.org.

West Michigan Tourist Association announces winning 2020 photos

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment,

By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
West Michigan Tourist Association

The West Michigan Tourist Association is excited to announce the winners in this year’s West Michigan Photo Contest. From a field of over 1,300 photo submissions, the top 50 were made available for public voting on the West Michigan Facebook Page. With over 15,000 votes cast, the five winning photos were earlier this month and can be found below.

The winning photos will all be featured in the 2021 West Michigan Carefree Travel Guide (available in January), along with prize packs of West Michigan goodies & experiences.

The West Michigan Photo Contest takes place each summer, with any interested photographers invited to share their photos of West Michigan for consideration.

2020 West Michigan Photo Contest Results:

Public Vote Winner: Todd Maertz at Marquette
Beach/Lake Category Winner: Fermin Manatad in South Haven
Nature Category Winner: David Dalrymple in Lovells
People Category Winner: Kristina Muir at Ludington
Downtown Category Winner: Noah Jurik at Traverse City


Colonial Michilimackinac to host several Mackinac Parks: 125 events in coming days

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A trade-in demonstration at Fort Michilimackinac. (mackinacparks.com)

By Dominick Miller
Mackinac State Historic Parks

Colonial Michilimackinac, a colonial fort and fur trading village on the shore of Lake Michigan in Mackinaw City, will host several events in the coming days in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Mackinac State Historic Parks.

“These three events allow us to share some new and exciting elements of Michilimackinac with visitors, including things like the Fire at Night that we’ve never done before,” said Craig Wilson, Curator of History for Mackinac State Historic Parks. “Even if someone has visited in the past, I would invite them to come back and see what’s new, not just with these special programs but with our regular activities and exhibits.”

First, on Thursday, July 9, Michilimackinac will host a Fire at Night, allowing guests to see Michilimackinac’s weapons fired as the sun sets. Staff, dressed as British soldiers, will fire a wall gun, mortar and cannon on the beach with the magnificent Mackinac Bridge as the backdrop. Guests can enter through the secondary entrance on Straits Avenue at 9:00 p.m., and the program will start at 9:30 p.m. This is a free event.

Michilimackinac at Work: Labor and Trades weekend takes place July 11-12 during regular hours at Colonial Michilimackinac. Michilimackinac was a hardworking community in the 18th century. Voyageurs, blacksmiths, laundresses, clerks, and soldiers all plied their trades at the fort, employing both skilled and unskilled labor. Join the interpretive staff as they demonstrate a variety of tasks that made up the world of work at Michilimackinac in the 18th century.

Regular admission to Colonial Michilimackinac includes all the special events included with the themed weekend. The schedule for the weekend includes:

A musket demonstration at Fort Michilimackinac. (mackinacparks.com)
  • 9:30 a.m. – Musket Demonstration
  • 10:00 a.m. – ‘For Want of a Smith:’ Blacksmithing at Michilimackinac Program
  • 11:00 a.m. – Soap and Water: Laundresses at Work Program
  • 12:00 p.m. – Musket Demonstration and Soldier’s Duties Program
  • 1:00 p.m. – People of the Fur Trade Program
  • 2:00 p.m. – At Work at Michilimackinac: Enslaved and Domestic Labor Program
  • 3:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill
  • 4:00 p.m. – ‘For Want of a Smith:’ Blacksmithing at Michilimackinac Program
  • 5:00 p.m. – ‘She Was Very Generally Respected:’ Women at Michilimackinac Program
  • 6:00 p.m. – People of the Fur Trade Program
  • 6:30 p.m. – Musket Demonstration

Finally, on Wednesday, July 15, Michilimackinac will be host to its second “Hidden Histories” evening. Focusing on marriage and the British army, this program will explore the complexities of love, marriage, and long-distance relationships in the British military of the 18th century. The entrance for this event will be at the secondary entrance on Straits Avenue, and this is a free event.

Appropriate social distancing will take place during all events, and all guests are expected to wear masks inside buildings and when social distancing is impossible.

Mackinac State Historic Parks, a family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its sites—which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums—include Fort Mackinac, the Biddle House, The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Historic Downtown Mackinac, and Mackinac Island State Park on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park and Michilimackinac State Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks’ rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at (231) 436-4100 or on the web at www.mackinacparks.com.

Petoskey Stone celebrates 55 years as Michigan’s state stone

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Diane Stampfler
Promote Michigan

A popular pastime in Petoskey is reaching for the state’s stone, the Petoskey stone. (needpix.com)

Most Michiganders (or Michiganians, depending on your preference) know that the Petoskey stone is the state’s official “state stone.” But just how and when did that come to be?

Let’s go back…way back…for a bit of geological history first.

Glaciers moved rocks, fossilized ancient coral, bedrock and soil throughout what is now Michigan millions of years ago, carving out the Great Lakes and depositing a wealth of natural treasures beneath them. Over time, the waves churned these waters and in turn polished pieces into rocks of all shapes, sizes and configurations—including Petoskey stones.

In the early 1900s, there were mentions of Petoskey stone in regional newspapers, but these referred to rocks harvested from shoreline gravel banks by the Petoskey Stone & Lime Company (incorporated in 1904), not the identifiable hexagon laden stones coveted and collected today.

One of the earliest printed accounts of actual “Petoskey stones” appeared in a handful of newspapers in October 1923—including the Palladium-Item of Richmond, Indiana and The Ithaca Journal in Ithaca, New York—as part of a Q&A section, authored by Information Bureau Director Frederick J. Haskin out of Washington D.C.

  • How is Petoskey stone polished? — C.A.L.
  • Petoskey stone is silicified fossil and is polished like agate. Various polishing powders, such as tin-oxide, chromium-oxide and iron-oxide are used.



A fascinating story appeared in the March 3, 1924 issue of the Battle Creek Enquirer in Battle Creek, Michigan about a large Petoskey stone that served as a paperweight on the desk of Phil Ross of the Central National Bank. At some point, E.M. Brigham, curator of the museum of the Battle Creek Public Schools, was consulted about the stone and its origin.

“Petoskey stone, rare? Why hardly, as many stones of that type are to be found between Lake Avenue and Coldwater Street [in Battle Creek], as there are in all of the Petoskey sector.

In 1969, geologist Dr. Edwin C. Stumm, Professor of Geology and Curator of Paleozoic Invertebrates at the University of Michigan, made the formal determination that what was thought to be a Petoskey “stone” was actually fossilized colonial coral of the genus and species Hexagonaria percarinata. (Wikipedia)

“’Well then,’ said his inquirer, ‘why are Petoskey stones called by that name?’

“The answer was ‘Battle Creek people haven’t time to run around town picking up stones. In Petoskey, all they have to do is wander over the beaches and they naturally run on to the stones, which of course have to be polished before they take the luster which makes them so popular. Petoskey curio dealers have helped the thing along by polishing them in not too large numbers and placing them in their windows for sale, along with some other stones, which are not native to the region.’”

This region of Michigan seemed to have a particular interest in Petoskey stones, as the paper ran another story on August 30, 1931 which read:

“The pretty Petoskey stone which was plentiful 20 or more years ago, appears like a coral formation. The native children along the shore of the lake in the vicinity of Petoskey watch for the waves to wash up these pretty stones with each incoming wave, and gather them for the tourist trade. The stones are sold to the souvenir booths. They are given a high polish which turns each spot into a gleaming eye.”

So, while these unique natural souvenirs have been rolling around the Lake Michigan shoreline for eons, they weren’t actually identified, sold and widely collected for the past 100 years or so (that we know of).

Fast forward to the spring of 1965.

In May, Michigan State Representatives Eugene R. Cater (D-Ludington) and Stanley Powell (R-Ionia) introduced House Bill 2297 to designate the Petoskey stone as the state’s official stone. It passed by a vote of 79-19 on Wednesday, May 19, 1965. The next month, Michigan Senator Thomas F. Schweiger (R-Petoskey) introduced a similar bill in the Senate which was passed 23-9 on Monday, June 14, 1965.

From there, it was off to Governor George Romney for signing during a special ceremony on Monday, June 28, 1965. Also in attendance were Rep. Cater, Rep. Powell and Princess Ella Jane Petoskey — granddaughter of Chief Petoskey for whom the city was named — whose participation was made possible by the Grand Valley Rock and Mineral Society. Ella presented a bit about her legendary grandfather and at the end of the ceremony was presented with the pen used by the governor in signing the bill, while Rep. Cater presented the governor himself with a tie clasp and cuff link set made of Petoskey stones to commemorate the day’s significance.

Interesting enough, it wasn’t until 1969 that geologist Dr. Edwin C. Stumm, Professor of Geology and Curator of Paleozoic Invertebrates at the University of Michigan, made the formal determination that what was thought to be a Petoskey “stone” was actually fossilized colonial coral of the genus and species Hexagonaria percarinata.

If you’re looking to do a little rock hunting for Petoskey stones start at the breakwall in downtown Petoskey, Magnus City Park Beach on West Lake Street and Petoskey State Park on M-119 on the way to Harbor Springs. A little tip for new hunters…spring (after the snow and ice melt) and following windy thunderstorms are prime times to find Petoskey stones as the waves have moved them along the bottom of the lake to the shoreline. Please note that Michigan law limits the amount of stones that can be collected to 25 pounds per person, per year.

And if you can’t find any on your own, many of of Petoskey’s downtown retail shops sell them (polished and unpolished).

MICHIGAN STATE SYMBOLS

  • State Flower: Apple Blossom (1897)
  • State Bird: American Robin (1931)
  • State Stone: Petoskey Stone (1965)
  • State Fish: Trout (1965) (Specified Brook Trout in 1988)
  • State Gem: Chlorastrolite (1972)
  • State Soil: Kalkaska Sand (1990)
  • State Reptile: Painted Turtle (1995)
  • State Mammal: White-Tailed Deer (1997)
  • State Wildflower: Dwarf Lake Iris (1998)
  • State Fossil: Mastodon (2002)



About the author

Dianna Stampfler is the president of Promote Michigan and the author of the best-selling book “Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses.” She loves traveling around the Great Lakes state and currently calls Walloon Lake her home.

What Are the Benefits of Assisted Living in Michigan?

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living,

By Vista Springs Assisted Living

What comes to mind when you think about Michigan? The peculiarly shaped Midwest state is known for its cars, lakes, and cities still finding their feet, but one thing it definitely doesn’t have a reputation for is being a hot retirement destination. But while the winters are cold and the roads are bumpy, choosing assisted living in Michigan has plenty of benefits for even the most discerning retiree.

What is Assisted Living?

At its most basic definition, assisted living is housing for elderly and disabled people that provides assistance with daily activities, such as meals and housekeeping. While there’s nothing wrong with this completely serviceable definition, it’s impossible to sum up all the benefits of assisted living in a single sentence.

Living in an assisted living community means so much more than getting help with activities of daily living, or ADLs. Depending on the community, care can extend to nursing assistance, respite and memory care, and rehabilitation. Even for aging adults that are capable of performing ADLs on their own, the community aspect of assisted living is extremely valuable, as isolation during retirement is a huge risk factor for poor mental health.

Why Michigan?

  • Cost: According to the 2017 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, the cost of assisted living in Michigan is lower than the national median cost for a private one-bedroom apartment. Michigan’s tax burden for individuals is among the lowest in the country, and options like long-term care Medicaid and the Choice Waiver Program help eligible elders with the costs of assisted living and healthcare. While it may not be the first place people think of for great places to retire, there are many reasons why choosing an assisted living community in the Great Lakes State offers plenty of bang for your buck.
  • Outdoors: For the aging outdoors person, Michigan may as well be paradise. With four of the five Great Lakes forming many of the state’s borders, as well as over 11,000 inland lakes, residents of Michigan are never more than six miles away from some form of waterfront. In addition to lakes, the state’s natural landscape boasts over 36,000 miles of rivers and streams and 20.3 million acres of forests, on which 4 national parks, 103 state parks and recreation areas, and almost 8,000 miles of biking, hiking, and snowmobiling trails are available for enjoyment. Phew! And that’s just the start. For the hunters, fishermen and -women, winter sportspeople, swimmers, hikers, and those who just enjoy fresh air, Michigan offers everything you need.
  • Arts & Culture: If the great outdoors doesn’t call your name often, or at all, there’s still so much to take in. From the rejuvenated big city living in Detroit to the rich history of the old trading ports like Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island, to the thriving art and music communities in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Saugatuck, there’s truly something within half a day’s driving distance for everyone.

If you or a loved one is looking for an affordable but fun and full of life location for retirement, assisted living in Michigan should be at the top of the list.

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Living.

Tulip Time Run registration now open

Entertainment, Sports, , ,

Tulip TimeFestival (www.tuliptime.com) announces online registration is now open for the Tulip Time Run, which will be held on Saturday, May 4, at Kollen Park.

 

Experience the beauty of Holland as you run through the tulip-lined streets! The Tulip Time Run, now in its 9thyear, is presented by MVP Athletic Club, and offers an event for everyone — a 5K, 10K and Kids’ Fun Run. If you are running both the 5K and 10K, you are automatically entered in the 15K results category eligible for medals and cash prizes. And, back again, is the Tulip Time Virtual Run.  If you cannot make it to Holland, Michigan for the Tulip Time Festival, run a 5K or 10K in the comfort of your own hometown and receive a race shirt, bib and 2019 Run pin in the mail.

 

All run participants will receive a race bib. Included with the race bib will be a complimentary gear check tag and a free beverage ticket, redeemable at the After-Party at Boatwerks Waterfront Restaurant. Registering before April 15 ensures runners a participant shirt and a personalized race bib featuring their name. Race results are available within seconds of crossing the finish line via email, onsite kiosks or by downloading the IgniteYourEvent app.

 

Packet Pickup and late registration will be available at the Race & Fitness Expo on Friday, May 3, from 4p – 7p at MVP Athletic Club, and on Saturday, May 4 at 7a at Kollen Park. The Race & Fitness Expo offers information, displays and giveaways from health and fitness companies.

 

The 5K will start at 8a and the 10K will start at 8:45a. Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each age division (male and female). The Kids’ Fun Run will start at 9:15a in Kollen Park.

 

Registration and pricing information, along with all race details, is available online at www.tuliptime.com/run. Questions regarding registration and race details can be directed to Kara Rooks, Race Director, at (616) 396-4221 ext. 114 or kara@tuliptime.com.

 

Join the dance as we “paint the town orange”at Tulip Time’s 90thAnniversary celebration May 4-12, 2019. Detailed program and event information for Tulip Time 2019 is available on www.tuliptime.com. Tickets for all shows can be purchased online at www.tuliptime.com, in person at the Tulip Time Festival Box Office located at 42 West 8thStreet, Holland, Michigan, or by phone at 800-822-2770.

Consumers Energy seeks public input in developing long-term energy plan

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An upcoming public session set for Monday, Feb. 12, in Grand Rapids will give community members an opportunity to learn about Consumers Energy and to provide thoughts on how to meet Michigan’s future energy needs.

 

The open house is scheduled for 4 – 7 p.m. at Consumers Energy’s Russell Leadership Center, 120 Front Ave. SW .

 

The input from the public will help Consumers Energy develop an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a valuable long-range tool the company will use to continue to powering Michigan with affordable, reliable and clean energy.

 

The energy provider expects to submit the plan to the Michigan Public Service Commission by mid-year, as part of the energy law that Michigan lawmakers approved in late 2016. The commission will have about a year to review the plan.

 

“This process will help set the foundation for serving Michigan, its customers and guiding key decisions for our company in the coming years,” said Brandon Hofmeister, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president of governmental, regulatory and public affairs. “We’re committed to aligning our focus on people, planet and prosperity with this future energy plan. Our goal is a strategic vision that makes sense for our company, our customers and Michigan.

 

The Feb. 12 event is the second of two public forums. The first was held Jan. 29 in East Lansing.

 

Consumers Energy serves about two thirds of Michigan’s residents, providing electricity and/or natural gas to homes and businesses in every Lower Peninsula county.

 

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

 

To see more information about Consumers Energy’s commitment to a sustainable future, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/sustainability.

Tickets now on sale for Tulip Time Knick Series’ guitarist Duffy King

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , ,

By Susan Zalnis

 

Tickets are now on sale for the award-winning guitarist, Duffy King, who will be performing at Tulip Time Festival this year.

 

Festival entertainment is returning to downtown Holland for three great nights at the Knickerbocker Theatre, 86 E 8th St, Holland, Mich. On Thursday, May 11th, Duffy King will take the stage. Energetic, kinetic grooves, driving rhythms, blistering leads, and finesse are words that have been used to describe Duffy’s style of guitar playing.

 

Hailing from Detroit and its vast musical heritage, Duffy has toured throughout the world and has done countless studio sessions, including nationally televised ad campaigns and major label releases that have been nominated for awards including Grammy Awards, Billboard Magazine awards, and World Music Awards. The combination of these accomplishments, and performing with an array of world class musicians, has earned him a reputation as a top caliber guitarist. Well-versed in all styles of playing, Duffy is best known for his potent Jazz/Rock and R&B/Funk chops.

 

Duffy’s talent doesn’t stop with playing guitar. His song writing skills have won awards in Billboard Magazine’s Songwriter’s Contest, and received acclaim for his solo release, Livin’ for the Big Time, which charted in the top 10 on many radio stations throughout the mid-west region.

 

Also a strong vocalist, Duffy has had 20 Detroit Music Award nominations, (winning 6), including nods for Outstanding R&B Instrumentalist, R&B Vocalist, R&B Artist, R&B Recording, Jazz Recording. His Solo Guitar Christmas was nominated for a Detroit Music Awards Outstanding Jazz recording. His newest release, Acoustically Speaking, has met with rave reviews and is currently charting in the top 10 on a number of jazz stations.

 

The Tulip Time performance will feature several cuts from this release.

 

Other Knick Series performances include funny man Andy Beningo for a night of clean comedy on Friday, May 12th, and the return of Chicago’s legendary improv group, The Second City. Tickets for these shows, and all other festival events, can be purchased online at www.tuliptime.com, via phone at 616.396.4221 or visit the Tulip Time box office at 74 W. 8th Street in Holland.

 

The Tulip Time Festival Guide is now available offering complete details for the 2017 program. Festival Guides can be viewed online or you can request a copy at www.tuliptime.com/join. Connect with Tulip Time and download the free app.

SCA’s 4th annual ‘Saugatuck Shorts’ film competition screens Nov. 5

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EVENT TICKETSExperience the magic of film during a night of friendly competition from professional, amateur and student filmmakers from around the state.

 

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA) (400 Culver Street) is hosting its 4th annual film festival, the Saugatuck Shorts Film Competition on November 5th at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10/students and $20/adults. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit sc4a.org or call 269.857.2399.

 

The jury-selected films compete for cash prizes. The audience at the competition will select their favorite film of the night, and the film with the most votes will receive a prize of $1,000.

 

“The competition is unique in that it requires a Michigan ‘flavor’ in the submission,” said Kristin Armstrong, SCA Executive Director. “For instance, a film could be shot in Michigan, include Michigan in the storyline, have a Michigan filmmaker or actor – something that adds a note of Michigan to the entry.”

 

This year, actor, producer and director Joel Paul Reisig will co-host the event. Reisig has produced such films as Horse Camp, Rodeo Girl,Small Town Santa, A Horse for Summer, American Scream King and many more. Reisig graduated from Hope College and is a entrepreneur who, in addition to his other job titles, also conducts seminars and workshops on “Be Your Own Hollywood.”

 

The money raised from the competition will go to benefit the SCA’s year-round free and low-cost programs.

screen-shot-2015-09-11-at-10-41-28-am-png

The SCA has long included film as an art medium in its programming; it hosts a yearly Children’s Film Festival and in 2011 the locally produced and focused film Everyday People debuted to a sold-out audience. Most recently, the SCA served as the venue for WGVU Public Media’s Hometown Stories project.

 

The Saugatuck Shorts Film Competition event will air on WKTV television.

Turning Off, Shutting Down & Disconnecting… Easier Said Than Done!

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Editorial, ,

Michigan LightsBy: Dianna Higgs-Stampfler – Promote Michigan

 

After coming back from a week of glamping at Camp Buttercup in Dexter (story coming soon), I have done a lot of thinking about disconnecting…about shutting down, turning off, recharging. In today’s fast paced world, we definitely need to find times to do this. And, just like each of us has our own wiring formula that dictates HOW we work (and how MUCH we work), the reboot time varies from person to person. For me, just a couple nights under a canopy of trees was enough to redirect my energies away from my laptop and my cell phone to books, magazines and notepads for journaling my thoughts. It wasn’t much…collectively maybe a couple hours, but it was enough for me.

 

Someone asked me recently to “shut it off…” to STOP talking about Michigan, just for one night. They might have had better luck saying “stop breathing…” “stop loving…” “stop living…” I know I can be too much for some people, my intensity and love for Michigan is overwhelming, even for me, at times.

 

I guess some could find it annoying the way I sneak something positive about Michigan into nearly every conversation:

 

Ordering a gin and cocktail? Is that a MICHIGAN gin? Looking for a book to read, have you read this title from this MICHIGAN author? A song comes on the radio…did you know Stevie Wonder, The Knack, DeBarge, Del Shannon (born Charles Westover) were from MICHIGAN? The recent passing of Muhammad Ali…he lived in southwest MICHIGAN.

 

I could play this game all day (and many of you who know me, know this to be true).

 

And while some may think I’m spewing all this information to be a show off (in constant used-car-salesman mode), the truth is…I can’t NOT do it. I can’t stop talking about all the great people, places and products that make MICHIGAN such a great place to live, work and play. I didn’t just create Promote Michigan because I thought it was a way to make an easy buck off the state. I created it because I recognized that I could make a living doing what I love to do…telling people true stories about what goes on within the boundaries of the Great Lakes State.

 

If you asked me to tell you my favorite place, my favorite wine, my favorite museum, golf course, restaurant, concert venue, brewery, etc., in Michigan…I couldn’t do it. Like asking someone to tell you which kid they like best. Each place, each person, each story impacts me in a different way—admittedly, some more than others, but each is unique and important.

 

I may go off on tangents or have certain themes that are of interest: lighthouses, covered bridges, historic sites, ghost towns…but inside those categories, picking just ONE favorite is tough.

 

Throughout the course of my travels, I also encounter wonderful people who have wonderful stories they share with me—and often, I find myself so intrigued I begin digging into those stories for more information. The more I find, the more I want to share not only with the original storyteller, but with others.

 

Currently on my mind…

 

  • The Purple Gang operated a secret speak-easy in Harbor Springs called The Club Manitou, which later became a concert venue called The Club Ponytail. This week, I’m having coffee with someone who has been researching this extensively (after learning about it from another local historian who helped me recently on an article about Ernest Hemingway that appears in the current issue of Michigan BLUE Magazine).
  • Henry Ford was a frequent visitor to the Upper Peninsula and found himself on the “wait list” to become an owner / member of the Huron Mountain Club in Marquette. Next week, I’m traveling through the UP to some of the places that Ford and his entourage would have visited. The challenge in telling this story, is that I’ll only have 600 words in which to convey the magnitude of Ford’s adventures as an early tourist. The bonus side of it is, after the story is written, I can verbally tell it in greater detail.
  • Vernor’s was invented 150 years ago in Detroit, by a pharmacist. Even though I’m not a fan of ginger ale, the history is fascinating and when I give my “Made in the Mitten” presentation, it is always among the samples offered. It is also often included in Michigan-themed gift baskets that I use for various purposes.
  • A friend just told me about his experiences kayaking through the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising. Every time I drive through that area, I think “I should have really made time to kayak here…” and then the thought passes. Will this be the year I actually cross this off my bucket list? I WILL be in the area in mid-September for the UP Fall Beer Festival so it is possible.
  • The Barn Theatre in Augusta – celebrating its 70th season as Michigan’s oldest resident summer stock theatre company. Every week, they’re presenting a new show (opening tomorrow: Guys and Dolls). Some big names are among the “Barnie” history – including Tom Wopat (Dukes of Hazard), Kim Zimmer (Guiding Light), Jennifer Garner (Alias), Robert Newman (Guiding Light) and Dana Delaney (China Beach), among others.Footnote: I’ve seen two shows here in my life, including Escanaba in da Moonlight (written by Michigan’s own Jeff Daniels, who was raised and still lives in Chelsea—where, ironically, I’m doing some work with the library on promotions and marketing for an upcoming community history project).
  • Stafford’s Pier Restaurant in Harbor Springs has recently completed a full renovation of its dining room and outdoor spaces, overlooking Little Traverse Bay. I haven’t seen it yet in person, however I do have guests coming for the evening and they want to go out to dinner. A great meal, with friends, overlooking the water and checking out the new décor. That’s a win-win-win-win!

 

This list could go on and on, as my ADD brain flips to dozens of topics in a matter of minutes – but almost all of them are related in some fashion to MICHIGAN. Sometimes my digging is work related—tied to a client, a story assignment or an upcoming program, but often, I’m just captured by something someone told me during the course of a casual conversation.

 

You may call that obsessive, but I call it passion. And, thankfully…I get to call this wonderful place my home! And, honored that I get to share these stories with others who live here, but also those far away through the pages of magazines that I write for.

 

And what makes my passion different, from let’s say music or cats or golfing, is that it encompasses SO much. It includes rural and urban spaces, it encompasses things that happen indoors and out, it covers two peninsulas, four Great Lakes, dozens of islands, thousands of miles of rivers and streams, countless buildings, thousands of faces, wonderful sights, sounds and tastes, and so much more. It is all encompassing, unwavering, undeniable love affair with my home state

 

So…can I shut it down? Can I turn it off? Can I disconnect? From Michigan? Never! I don’t want to, I don’t have to and I shouldn’t be expected to!

 

This article was republished with permission from Dianna at Promote Michigan. We do our best to help with the promotion of the great State of Michigan!

Tulip Time celebrates its 87th year May 7-14 in Holland, Mich

3-bottom, Beer, Entertainment, Food, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , , , ,

tulip time

 

Holland, Michigan’s Tulip Time 2016 is May 7-14
By Pure Michigan

 

The beautiful beach town of Holland has been celebrating its Dutch heritage and culture since 1929 and the festivities continue this year. May 7-14, 2016 the Tulip Time Festival will feature parades, traditional Dutch Dance performances, concerts, theatre, Dutch attractions, Dutch food and more. More than 500,000 people from 40 countries travel to the Holland Tulip Time Festival each year.

tulip time dutch dance

 

During your visit at the Tulip Time Festival, you’ll see more than four million tulips decorating city parks, public attractions and city streets. Drive the six miles of Tulip Lanes through Holland’s historic neighborhoods. For more of nature’s beauty, explore Windmill Island Gardens, home to manicured gardens with more than 115,000 tulips, a 250 year-old working Dutch windmill and an antique Dutch carousel. For a more adventurous day, take your family to the Midway Carnival, or have a blast at the Nelis’ Dutch Village Family Theme Park, where the history of the Dutch culture comes to life. Continue the Dutch experience at Dutch Marktplaats, a marketplace where you can delight in the tastes, sights, sounds and crafts of 19th century Holland.

tulip time map

 

The Tulip Time Festival features three spectacular parades. See the traditional Volksparade, led by thousands of locals in traditional Dutch costumes. Participants gather at the beginning of the parade for the official Street Scrubbing, which includes an appearance by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. The Johnson Controls Kinderparade, or “children’s parade,” is the largest parade of children in the state. The parade series finishes with GMB Muziekparade “music parade,” one of the most spectacular parades in the state, featuring 4,000 participants including floats, dancers, and bands along Michigan’s longest parade route.

 

For a relaxed way to experience the tulips, book a Tulip City Tour. The tours are offered daily; purchase your same-day tour tickets at the booth at Centennial Park The hop-on, hop-off tour allows easy access through beautiful Tulip Lanes, Holland’s Historic District, city parks and downtown, and includes admission to Windmill Island Gardens and the Holland Museum, Cappon House and Settler’s House.

Top20-all-R

 

While visiting Holland, make sure to take in beautiful Lake Michigan. Visit Holland State Park to view Big Red Lighthouse or Tunnel Park beach to watch a sunset. For a little more adventure, climb the 230 steps to the top of Mt. Pisgah, a 157 foot sand dune. Here, enjoy a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa.

 

Downtown Holland is a great destinations for unique, first-class shopping and dining. For Holland travel information and suggestions, click here. To purchase tickets and to peruse the entertainment opportunities, go here.

 

Images courtesy of Pure Michigan and Tulip Time

On the Shelf: A selection of gardening guides just for Michigan

3-bottom, Food, How-To's, Local Entertainment, Reviews, , ,

TheBountifulContainer72By Laura Nawrot

Grand Rapids Main Library

 

The growing season can start just about anytime in Michigan, so if you haven’t planted yet, it’s probably not too late. There are plenty of bargain plants and pots galore at the usual places, and several books are available to help you get growing.

 

If you have a small space on a patio or deck, just want to plant a few tomatoes or start a salad garden, McGee & Stuckey’s Bountiful Container by Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey will walk you through all the steps to an abundant container garden in no time.

carrots-love-tomatoes

If you have a larger area and want to make the most of your plantings, Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte is the book for you. Louise tells you what to plant where to make the most of beneficial relationships between plants. As the title suggests, carrots love tomatoes and grow very well when planted beside each other. This book also includes which plants naturally repel pests to help keep your garden chemical free. Find out more about which plants get along and which ones don’t in this easy to read selection.

 

Not sure what you should be doing in the garden in Michigan? Not to worry. There are several books available that focus just on growing in this area. Month-by-Month Gardening in Michigan by James A. Fizzle is packed with beautiful photos and illustrations, offering specific advice for every month of the year designed to make your gardening successful year round.

1032329

Michigan Gardener’s Guide by Marty Hair, Laura Coit, and Tim Boland is written by popular gardening experts who offer easy to use advice on how to grow and care for specific varieties of Michigan’s best plants. This book is divided into sections for each of the different types of plants; annuals, perennials, trees, etc. complete with full color illustrations. Best of all, chapter two tells you how to use the book without insulting your intelligence.

 

Perennials for Michigan by Nancy Szerlag & Alison Beck garners rave reviews from customers on Amazon.com who insist the authors definitely know what they are talking about. This book is very well organized and easy to use, contains beautiful photos and practical advice on which plants to select for your gardening interests and growing zone; low maintenance, fine-textured, color variations and native plants. Included in this selection is a quick reference guide to the plants plus a chapter on recommended gardens to visit in Michigan. For color that returns year after year, this is the guide to choose.

 

On the Shelf book reviews are provided by Grand Rapids Public Library. For more suggestions, activities and programs, click here.

 

Spring is time for Pure Michigan Blossoms

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , , ,

Marsh Marigold DegraafBy: Dianna Higgs-Stampfler

 

Spring BeautyAs the winter snow melts away, spring wildflowers begin to push their way up through the ground to welcome the new warm-weather season. Located in the heart of the Great Lakes region, Michigan his home to approximately 1700 native wildflower species of all shapes and sizes, found from coast to coast to coast.

 

My love of nature – flowers, trees and birds – comes from my maternal grandmother who helped me in high school with various biology class projects such as my leaf and bug collections. Thanks to grandma, I’ve remained fascinated as an adult by birds (specifically cardinals), trees (birch and gingko) and flowers (lilacs)…but, ironically, not bugs!

 

While all gardens and flowers are beautiful, I’ve been drawn to the natural formation of wildflowers as they grow along the side of the roads as I travel Michigan. The variety of colors, textures and sizes I think make the prettiest impact.

 

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, “all plants are protected on Michigan’s public lands, including road rights-of-ways. Additionally, 243 native plants are listed as threatened or endangered and are protected by Michigan’s Endangered Species Act.

 

picDutchmansBreechesThe wetlands and woodlands present the first displays each spring – when marsh marigold, wild garlic, jackin-the-pulpit, bloodroot, trillium and Dutchman’s breeches make their showing. Blossoms can also be found throughout the summer in the dunelands, meadows, stream banks, shorelines and rocky slopes along the highways and byways.

 

To learn more about Michigan’s wildflowers, download the DNR’s Michigan Wildflower Viewing Guide.

 

Founded in 1986, the Wildflower Association of Michigan encourages the preservation and restoration of Michigan’s native plants and native plant communities.

 

“Michigan’s native plants and plant communities are part of our natural heritage and should be preserved for future generations,” the WAM reports on its website. “By one estimate, 25 percent of Michigan’s plants will be extinct by 2050, as the result of loss of habitat due to development and invasion by aggressive non-native plants—and this estimate doesn’t include the possible effects of global warming. By cultivating native plants in your yard, you can help preserve the existing diversity of native vegetation and wildlife.”

 

The association also reports that:

  • native plants are easy to grow and maintain because they, unlike plants from Europe and Asia and even from other regions of our own continent, are well adapted to our soils and climate, with its extremes of weather;
  • native plants provide food and shelter for the wildlife with which they have evolved over millennia, and recent research is showing that the support for wildlife provided by native vegetation is better than that offered by non-native plants;
  • landscaping with native plants not only lowers water use—it improves water quality;
  • landscaping with native plants helps reduce global warming as many of our native plants are able to store carbon in their deep and extensive root systems, thus permanently removing it from the air.

 

The Michigan Nature Association is a nonprofit conservation organization working to protect Michigan’s rare, threatened and endangered species by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Established in 1952, MNA’s members, donors, and volunteers have built a remarkable network of more than 170 nature sanctuaries across the state – the largest network of natural areas established and maintained by a nonprofit conservation organization in Michigan. Through the help of staff, volunteers, members and donors, MNA protects more than 10,000 acres of Michigan’s most special natural areas and stewardship of more than 170 nature sanctuaries and plant preserves in nearly 60 counties around the state.

 

The Loda Lake National Wildflower Sanctuary is located in the heart of the Huron-Manistee National Forests in Baldwin. It is the only wildflower sanctuary in the National Forest System, a project supported both financially and botanically by the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan for over 70 years.

 

“Loda Lake is ideally suited as a wildflower sanctuary and although near one of Michigan’s busy highways, can still be a natural reservoir of wild plants,” says botanist Clayton Bazuin. “This is due to the large number of ecological associations it affords in which they may survive.”

 

picJackInAPulpitThe property includes a small spring-fed lake, a bog-like wetland area, a creek and marshy areas as well as an oak forest, pine plantations and an early successional old farm site. There are more than 200 wildflower species (and over 500 unique plant species) found at Loda Lake.

 

Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) was an American scientist, ecologist, forester, environmentalist, conservationist and author of A Sand County Almanac (which was published posthumously in 1949 and has sold more than two million copies). He was also a professor at the University of Wisconsin and was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness conservation.

 

Born and raised in Wisconsin, the Leopold family vacationed in the forested Les Cheneaux Islands in northern Lake Huron, near the cities of Cedarville and Hessel in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The area was a natural playground for young Aldo, who took to exploring the woods and waters—which shaped his future. Aldo’s legacy has taken root in the Les Cheneaux area, with the establishment of a nearly 1700-acre nature preserve on Marquette Island which bears his name (and is maintained by the Little Traverse Conservancy). The Aldo Leopold Festival is also planned for May 13-15, with this year’s theme: “Celebrating the North Huron Birding Trail.”

 

picTrilliumDeGraafMichigan is home to one chapter of The Nature Conservancy—a global organization that works in 69 countries worldwide and all 50 states. In Michigan, this group hosts countless events and maintains about 20 preserves throughout both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

 

Michigan is also home to several local, grass-roots organized conservancies, including:

 

Other Michigan eco-friendly organizations can be found here.

 

picLupinePatchLooking to add a natural garden to your property? The Michigan Wildflower Farm, located in Ionia County, is a working farm open for visitation by appointment only.  Open since 1988, they produce native Michigan wildflower and grass seed—most of which is collected from within a 150-mile radius of the farm. Seeds are sold through mail order, telephone, email and fax. They also specialize in installation and management of rain gardens, shoreline restorations, detention and retention basins, bio-swales, wetland mitigations, CRP and SAFE projects, meadows, prairies and gardens. They work with businesses, housing developments, libraries, municipal offices and single homes in urban and rural settings throughout Michigan.

 

As you travel around Pure Michigan in search of wildflowers, be sure to check out Michigan.org for a list of events, lodging properties, attractions, restaurants and more.

 

picMichiganWildflowersCoverSpring Wildflower Events:

 

April 2 – Spring Wildflower Walk – Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve Niles

 

April 14 – Wildflowers After Work – Kalamazoo Nature Center

 

April 16 – Small Wonders Fantastic Flowers – Kalamazoo Nature Center

 

April 16 – Maple River Ramble – Philip C. Braun Nature Preserve, Pellston

 

April 21 – Wildflowers After Work – Kalamazoo Nature Center

 

April 23 – EcoStewards Volunteer Kick Off – Little Traverse Conservancy

 

April 23 – Wildflower Folklore – DeGraaf Nature Center, Holland

 

April 30 – Wildflower Walk – Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary

 

May 1 – Spring Has Sprung at Springhill Nature Preserve – Superior Charter Twp

 

May 3 – Spring Wildflower Hike in Pete’s Woods

 

May 4 – Kent Conservation District Native Plant Workshop, Grand Rapids

 

May 7 – Wildflower Hike – Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, Hastings

 

May 7 – Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk – Blandford Nature Center, Grand Rapids

 

May 8 – Mother’s Day Spring Wildflower Walk – Good Hart Farms Preserve, Good Hart

 

May 10 – Spring Wildflower Hike in Pete’s Woods

 

May 13-15 – Aldo Leopold Festival in Les Cheneaux

 

May 21 – Kent Conservation District Native Plant Sale, Grand Rapids

 

May 22 – Wildflower Walk – Michigan Nature Association – Karner Blue Nature Sanctuary

 

May 26 – Spring Wildflower Walk, Holland

 

Safe Travels!

 

This article was republished with permission from Dianna at Promote Michigan. We do our best to help with the promotion of the great State of Michigan!

Obesity Rates in Michigan Decline but Continue to Weigh Down the Country

Area Education, Health, Our Cities, , , , , , ,


By: Mike DeWitt

After watching the obesity rate rise over the past two decades, Michigan finally stepped on the scale and saw improvement. It’s a slight improvement, but a decrease in obesity nonetheless!

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of Michigan saw almost a 1% decrease in adult obesity rate. On top of that, it’s Michigan’s best state ranking – 17th – since 1990.

While Michigan’s ranking has come a long way since being the fifth most obese state at the turn of the millennium, the ranking hasn’t improved due to the state getting its act together to be healthier. Instead, the improved ranking is a result of the rest of the nation regressing into an unhealthy state of mind.

In 2000, West Virginia had the highest adult obesity rate in the country at 23.9% (Michigan was 5th at 22.1%). Compare that to the most recent batch of numbers which has Arkansas leading the country with an obesity rate of 35.9%. West Virginia, the most obese state to kick off the millennium, would rank just under 47th ranked California today.

Not the right direction for the country to be heading.

Country Obesity
2014

Obesity is a major drain on health-care costs. A 2009 study estimated the U.S. spent about $150 billion a year on medical expenses associated with obesity. That number is almost double what the country spent on obesity related medical costs back in 1998.

According to the CDC, “Obesity reduces quality of life and is associated with the leading causes of death, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.”

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when diving into the data. First off, the CDC measures obesity using a BMI – or body mass index – of 30 or above. Since BMI is calculated using only your weight and height, it is possible for an individual with a large muscular composition to be labeled “obese” due to a high BMI reading. However, while there are exceptions, there is a strong correlation between BMI and more precise measures of obesity.

Another caveat with the data is how the CDC measures obesity rates, and how that affects comparing data over the years. Back in 2011, the CDC made some changed the way obesity rates were measured to better reflect minority populations. Because of the data gathering changes, the CDC cautions about comparing rates since 2011 with earlier number.

Because of that last point, it’s difficult to compare obesity rates in 2000 to now, but a stark rise in the country’s obesity can still be seen from 2011 onward. Back in 2011, 12 states had an obesity rate over 30% and none were over 35%. Compare that to the latest set of available data, and America has 22 states with an obesity rate over 30% and three states above the 35% threshold.

The numbers are staggering, and they hit even closer to home when you look a little closer.

Kent County ObesityKent County isn’t immune from the rise in obesity. Actually, far from it. Kent County has an obesity rate of 29%, good enough to park just between Illinois and Idaho in the national rankings at 28 and 29, respectively.

The obesity epidemic doesn’t show signs of slowing down, but it’s not something we as a society need to be held hostage to. While genetics can play a role, a lot comes down to a healthy diet and exercise! The typical American diet tends to be heavy on processed and high-calorie foods. Sub out unhealthy choices with fruits and vegetables. Also, make sure to stay active.

It’s not always an easy road, but it’s enlightening to know obesity doesn’t have to weigh us down forever.

First & Main of Metro Health Village: A Groundbreaking Concept that Caters to Seniors

Senior Living, , , , , ,

First and MainBy Victoria Mullen

Getting old can really suck if you’re not in the greatest shape. Aching, stiff joints. Decreased mobility. And moving from one’s beloved, long-time home into a retirement community or assisted living facility isn’t a pleasant thought either. For some, this transition is especially traumatic. My mom’s experience was no different: It’s an understatement to say that she wasn’t too keen on moving to a retirement community.

“I don’t want to live around a bunch of old people,” she repeatedly said. At the time, she was 80 years old, but I knew what she meant. Mom is very young at heart. After months of persuasion, though, she finally acquiesced, and we found a fabulous community for her. Now she wishes that she would have moved there sooner. On the day she moved in, she met the love of her life, and these days she reassures me often with, “It’s never too late to find a man.”

Uh, thanks, but I’m fine. Really.

Granted, people normally don’t transition to a senior community and find their true love; my mother’s experience is the exception. But it serves to illustrate that life is full of surprises and one should approach this huge milestone with an open mind.

Back in 2006, when I was searching for a retirement community suitable for my mother’s needs, First & Main, 5812 Village Drive SW, Wyoming, Mich.–the upscale residential component of Metro Health Village–was still being developed. Gary Granger, president and CEO of Granger Group, had been planning the community since 2003 and this past September 23, the Wyoming senior community welcomed its first resident.

“Care is a very important piece of every assisted living community because that is the foundation of what makes this so necessary,” said Granger in a press release. “We try to do that maybe in a little bit different way. … Even though the average age is in the mid-80s, people still want to feel valued and feel like they are tied into the community. The wellness component of our program is probably going to be the biggest area of emphasis for us, because the two most important things for wellness and health are diet and exercise.”The entryway into a First & Main development is designed to have a community feel and features an open atrium and café bookstore. Courtesy Granger Group

First & Main is a 102-unit senior living community with a 170-resident capacity. It is designed with a marketplace atmosphere that is evocative of a town center. The first two floors provide assisted-living options and the third floor is for memory care.

The 180-acre healthcare village is not only home to the first suburban hospital in the region, it’s an entire community of support services, retail shops, a grocery store, restaurants and more with Metro Health Hospital at its core. There are also an in-house chapel, theater, salon, bistro and patio, fitness center, and a courtyard with a putting green and raised gardens.

I had noticed components of Metro Health Village slowly appearing over the years—doctors’ offices, the Pain Clinic, Metro Health Hospital, and now the most recent addition, the residential community. There’s also Family Fare grocery store, which I thought had been an odd placement, but now it all makes sense.

Every building in Metro Health Village is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, focusing on energy conservation, recycling and storm water management. The village also integrates the natural environment to provide a healthy, calm, healing setting to serve patients, families and neighbors nearby.

First & Main boasts some newfangled technology that makes life easier for its residents. Instead of door keys, residents use digitally encoded, radio-frequency wristbands to unlock their suites. Also featured is interactive engagement software called ‘It’s Never Too Late,’ which can be used for a variety of activities such as trivia games, vintage radio shows, and using Street View to tour a resident’s hometown.

“The wellness program, hospitality and community engagement are part of the goal to support residents’ lifestyles,” according to Granger. “Several of the programs and services offered in the new development will incorporate third-party providers, such as hair stylists in the salon, bringing in health experts for diet and exercise training classes, and yoga and fitness instructors.”

Other amenities include 24-hour staffing, transportation to physician appointments, housekeeping, activities and wellness, chef-prepared meals, apartment and suite maintenance, assistance with digital communication and reminders and assistance to dinner.

First and Main 2Some features may take getting used to, especially for people who are used to being self-sufficient. For example, ‘Point of Care Solution,’ a handheld mobile device, provides real-time documentation for staff so that more time can be spent with residents; ‘Quiet Care’ determines residents’ nighttime behavior patterns and alerts staff when that pattern changes; ‘Real Time Location Service Pendants’ alert staff to a resident’s location if assistance is needed; LG CNS Electronic Health Records and Medication Management Systems provide a detailed electronic record for each resident; and special spectrum lighting helps reset the natural Circadian rhythms for memory care.

Metro Health Village is a groundbreaking concept and the first of its kind in the nation. Granger has plans to build similar villages in other areas of Michigan as well as in Ohio. We can thank the Baby Boomer generation for this trend as more and more cohorts from that population transition to retirement communities.

For more information, call 616.622.2420 or visit the website.

Images courtesy of Granger Group

The Buck Stops Here: Opening Day Just Around the Corner in Michigan

Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

With the time-honored tradition of opening day just around the corner, sportsmen and women are gearing up for the hunt across Michigan. More than 540,000 hunters are expected to participate in the upcoming firearms season beginning Sunday, November 15.

While the sport is steeped in tradition and aspirations, it is also a driver of Michigan’s economy. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates hunting in Michigan generates more than $2.3 billion in economic impact in the state, including expenses related to food and lodging and $1.3 billion spent on equipment.

“Hunting is one more way that Michigan’s rich natural resources are helping to drive the state’s economy and contributing to our overall quality of life,” said Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Steve Arwood. “With the opening of firearms season for deer we will see more than 20,000 licensed hunters from outside of the state come to Michigan and more than half a million residents traveling to get to deer camp or their perfect spot, providing a boost to local communities along the way.”

Whitetail DeerWhile the deer harvest was down in 2014 – following trends seen across the Midwest – the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) expects 2015 to provide an increased success rate – especially in the Northern and Southern Lower Peninsula. To combat decreased deer herds across the Upper Peninsula, the result of several consecutive years of harsh winters, the DNR has brought together a U.P. Habitat Workgroup to develop detailed deer winter range habitat strategies including management plans for individual deer wintering complexes throughout the U.P.

The workgroup – comprised of natural resource professionals, private landowners and sportsmen’s groups – is led by Natural Resources Commission member J.R. Richardson of Ontonagon and Jim Hammill of Crystal Falls, a wildlife management consultant who is also a retired DNR biologist. With an estimated 80 percent of the winter deer habitat in the U.P. managed by entities other than the DNR, the U.P. Habitat Workgroup will work cooperatively with these other stakeholders to improve deer winter range strategies across all land ownerships in the region.

Helping to manage healthy herds and habitats to ensure a successful hunt has important implications for Michigan’s economy. In 2014, an estimated $85 million was spent specifically on leisure travel related to hunting activities in the state according to data from D.K, Shifflet. Hunting and fishing leisure travel spending combined for $342 million in Michigan last year.

“Deer hunting is an iconic and defining Michigan tradition,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh. “Whether harvesting a big buck in the woods or just spending time at camp, the deer season offers one more great way for people to experience Michigan’s world-class natural resources while connecting with family and friends. We hope hunters throughout the state have a safe and successful season.”

Currently, Michigan ranks No. 3 in the nation for the number of licensed hunters statewide and 650,000 hunters are expected to purchase a deer hunting license in 2015. The DNR estimates more than 90 percent of Michigan hunters will pursue deer this year, with hunters spending an average of 14 days afield during the season. In Michigan, 60 percent of hunters only hunt deer making the upcoming firearm season an especially important driver of the state’s hunting economy.

To promote the hunt in Michigan – both for deer and other species, including grouse – Pure Michigan and the DNR collaborated again this year on a targeted marketing campaign to reach hunters both in-state and in neighboring states, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

“This year we were especially interested in targeting active hunters and active anglers that have the potential to crossover and participate in both sports,” said Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan. “Ultimately this benefits the entire state by increasing hunting and fishing revenue – funding that goes back into efforts to create world-class recreational opportunities to be enjoyed by all residents and visitors.”

Michigan Gets an ‘F’ with Transparency

Hard News, Politics, , , ,

When it comes to government ethics and transparency, the State of Michigan is failing miserably.

An investigation by The Center for Public Integrity on government transparency and accountability found that Michigan wasn’t doing very well. The State only scored 51 points out of a possible 100 and failed 10 of the 13 categories.

Even more alarming, 11 other states received a failing grade, but Michigan stood out as the worst and ranked dead last amongst all 50 states.

“The dark money that dominates Michigan politics takes on another definition in the daily workings of state courts, the legislature, the governor’s office and cabinet members,” describes Chad Selweski in his report. “That’s because the state doesn’t require officials to disclose their financial holdings and outside income.”

You can read Selweski’s full report here on the methodology and why Michigan’s scores are so low. To see how the states stack up against each other, click here.

Michigan falling scores

Time is Running Out to Preserve Wyoming’s Oldest Residence

Local History, Non-Profits, Our Cities, , , , ,

Find out how you can help save the 1834 property for future generations!

 

The Dewey-Wedgwood House at Beckmaze - Wyoming's oldest secret.

“If the planning commission refuses our request to be sanctioned a community center, we are done,” says Simon-Tibbe. “All the hard work of volunteers, board members and our benefactor will be a missed opportunity to preserve a piece of Wyoming’s history. We could lose it forever.”

by Dorothy Simon-Tibbe and Janice Limbaugh

The original log house from 1834 remains a part of the house after several renovations and additions through the years.
The original log house from 1834 remains a part of the house after several renovations and additions through the years.

 

It is perhaps the oldest secret in the city of Wyoming. Hidden in the woods near busy Byron Center Avenue, a gem of local history sits quietly in the shadows of aging hardwoods. The two-story home on three acres along Buck Creek goes back to the 1830’s, when it was the site of a sawmill that provided lumber used to build the village at Grandville, the area’s first homes, and the city of Chicago. The Dewey-Wedgwood Home at Beckmaze holds over 180 years of forgotten stories and undiscovered treasures that one local woman is bound and determined to bring to light.

 

“I was born to do this,” says Kelly Hogan, a life-time Wyoming resident. “There’s more than what is in plain view around you. There’s rich history here that you wouldn’t see if you didn’t know what to look for.”

Between the house and Buck Creek is a clearing where deer like to visit on a regular basis.
Between the house and Buck Creek is a clearing where deer like to visit on a regular basis.

 

Ever since Hogan stumbled across the property, she’s grown more and more passionate about preserving it and establishing the house as a local landmark and educational center. It is not an easy task. Working alongside her is Wyoming historian Dorothy Simon-Tibbe who wrote the following narrative describing the uniqueness and importance of this endeavor:

Adjacent to the house is Buck Creek where remnants of a bridge are still visible. A stagecoach traveled a two-track road that stopped at the house.
Adjacent to the house is Buck Creek where remnants of a bridge are still visible. The road over the stone bridge was the original Byron Center Avenue.

 

Imagine standing in a dense forest of virgin white pine towering over the clear flowing waters of Buck Creek in 1832! You have followed a survey just completed by Lucius Lyon and Sylvester Sibley in 1831, and will claim this land in the Michigan Territory by registering with the U.S. government to gain patent at White Pigeon.

 

In 2014, the Dewey-Wedgewood Home at Beckmaze (2551 Oaklane S.W. in Wyoming) stands proud on this very spot 180 years later. Beckmaze Historical Society has been given this beautiful historic home on three acres of land contiguous to Buck Creek. The original log cabin, built in 1834, is within the walls of the existing building, albeit many additions have been made.

 

Beckmaze Historical Society was established purposely to preserve what remains of a historic estate that once contained over 1100 acres of land and played a significant role in local history from the very beginning of settlement in the Grand River Valley. The Society claims that this is the oldest surviving residence on an original foundation, and no other is as important to preserve as this one.

The home in 1970.
A side view of the home in 1970.

A side view of the home today.
A side view of the home today.

 

The effort to preserve the property began in 2008 when Hogan and Simon-Tibbe first inspected the property and since then the two have been joined by several others. Now that the home has been secured, the community has the opportunity of a lifetime!

 

The Beckmaze Historical Society is a 501-c-3 designated non-profit and needs volunteers and donations to sustain the restoration. The first order of business is to restore the home to its former glory so that it will survive into the future. The plan is to use it to educate the public about Wyoming’s true place in history and to one day host classes for crafts that hearken back to the age before electronics. The Society is at a crucial point right now. The full support of the surrounding community is essential to the success of the cause.

Here are a few of the key points regarding the property’s history:

1834: One of the first 3 sawmills was built on the site, as well as the Jenison cabin and several other buildings

 

1835: From this mill, the first ever load of white pine lumber was shipped to Chicago that April

 

1840-1865: Known as “Dewey’s Station”, it is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad

The foundation of the original sawmill is still visible today.
The foundation of the original sawmill is still visible today.

 

1855: The original mill was replaced by a steam saw mill capable of cutting 2-million board feet of lumber each year. The foundation of this mill and the dam is still visible today. Also visible is the original stone base for the bridge that was once a part of the original route of Byron Center Avenue.

 

1869: Dewey negotiated with The Lake Shore and Southern Michigan Railroad to have that line directed across the original estate in exchange for a station being built nearby, which was especially significant at the turn of the century.

The front porch in 1906.
The front porch in 1906.

 

1890: The home was discovered by an artist named George H. Ford, who soon turned it into a showcase and then used it as the main “lodge” of his artist colony. The famed Grand Rapids artist Mathias Alten frequented the colony while others such as photographer Fedora E.D. Brown and English artist Octar Copson commissioned homes of Ford’s design to be built adjacent to the property. He donned the colony with the name “Beckmaze” which meaning is interpreted to be “sweeter than the sweetest thing”. Current plans are to restore the home to its appearance under Ford’s ownership when it represented the best that Grand Rapids had to offer in the way of design and decoration.

Ford added architectural renovations that were state-of-the-art for the day.
Ford added architectural renovations that were state-of-the-art for the day.

 

1925: Dr. Llewelyn Wedgwood purchased the property and maintained its beauty until his death in 1949. After several years, it passed into the hands of the Braun family who spent three years restoring the property again.

The home in the winter of 1940.
The home in the winter of 1940.

 

1959: Wedgwood Christian Acres Home for Boys was organized by members of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church. Over the next 49 years the home underwent many necessary changes as the organization strove to continue its function as a residence for trouble youth.

 

2008: The property was sold into private ownership and suffered severely due to lack of maintenance. In the meantime, efforts had begun to bring attention to its historic value resulting in the formation of the Beckmaze Historical Society in 2010.

 

2011: The home was purchased by the society’s main benefactor and held in trust until it was able to receive it as a donation.

 

Thankfully now in 2014, the title has been transferred to the Society but still it faces uncertainty as it must appeal to the Wyoming Planning Commission for special use of the property as a community center in order to move forward. This meeting is set to take place October 21st at 7 p.m. at Wyoming’s City Hall.

 

“If the planning commission refuses our request to be sanctioned a community center, we are done,” says Simon-Tibbe. “All the hard work of volunteers, board members and our benefactor will be a missed opportunity to preserve a piece of Wyoming’s history. We could lose it forever.”

 

This approval and the funds to carry out the preservation effort are sorely needed. The Society is hoping that the entire community will recognize the importance of this site and lend whatever support they can to the cause. To make a tax deductible contribution or to find out how you can help, contact the Beckmaze Historical Society at 616-258-8617 or find us on Facebook. Donations and inquiries can also be made by addressing correspondence to Beckmaze Historical Society at 2551 Oaklane S.W., Wyoming, Michigan, 49519.