June 28, 2004



Oct. 16, 2006 | |

|The Digest |

|What’s Happening at KVCC |

What’s below in this edition

⎫ College Night (Pages 1-3) ⎫ Retiring? (Pages 12/13)

⎫ Odyssey 2006 (Pages 3-5) ⎫ ‘Defib’ training (Page 13)

⎫ Meet an astronaut (Pages 5/6) ⎫ Movies at museum (Pages 13-15)

⎫ Chemistry Day (Pages 6/7) ⎫ AIDS dialogue (Page 15)

⎫ What to do? (Page 7) ⎫ Workers comp (Page 16)

⎫ Shedding pounds (Page 7) ⎫ Great Lakes voyage (Page 16)

⎫ Energy Summit (Pages 7-9) ⎫ Leadership (Pages 16/17)

⎫ Wellness checks (Page 9) ⎫ ECCU promotion (Page 17)

⎫ United Way (Page 10) ⎫ Buried in history (Pages 18/19)

⎫ Be in stitches (Pages 10/11) ⎫ Weavers’ wares (Pages 19/120)

⎫ Transferring (Page 11) ⎫ ‘Game’ dinner (Page 20)

⎫ Get on the ball (Page 12) ⎫ PTK’s latest (Pages 20/21)

⎫ And finally (Page 21)

☻☻☻☻☻☻

College Night 2006 is Monday

Representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities, along with spokesmen from the armed forces and training providers, are expected to take part in the 2006 Greater Kalamazoo Area College Night on Monday (Oct. 16) at KVCC’s Texas Township Campus.

From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., students and parents will able to learn about higher-education opportunities both in Michigan, around the Midwest and nationally. The event is free.

This marks the 11th consecutive year that KVCC has hosted the annual event designed for high school prospects to take giant strides toward their future in education or technical training. It is co-sponsored by KVCC and Western Michigan University.

Part of the evening’s features will be a workshop on the availability of financial aid and the procedures for seeking it at 7 p.m. in the Commons Theater.

Representatives from post-secondary institutions across the country will be on campus that evening to interact with juniors and seniors from 40 Southwest Michigan high schools and their parents. The students will also be able to learn about technical schools while members of the U. S. armed forces will explain how military service can help pay for a college education.

“The Kalamazoo Area College Night is a wonderful tool to use in helping students select a college that fits their personal and educational goals,” said Diane Vandenberg, who is coordinating the event at KVCC.

The 7 p.m. workshop on financial aid will cover the procedures for applying for financial aid and the criteria for receiving financial assistance in attending college. The presentation will discuss scholarships, student loans, and the kind of financial assistance available from the federal and state governments.

“The workshop will assist students and parents with the ‘how-to’s’ for receiving financial aid,” said Vandenberg, who can be contacted at extension 4755 for more information.

Here is the roster of participating institutions:

Adrian College, Western Michigan University, Albion College, Wayne State University, Hope College, Defiance College in Ohio, Spring Arbor University, Ball State University, Oakland University, Marygrove College in Detroit, Madonna University in Livonia, the University of Michigan, the University of Phoenix;

Valparaiso University, Walsh College in Troy, Alma College, Michigan State University, Penn State University, Bethel College in Indiana, Aquinas College, Baker College in Muskegon, Kalamazoo College, Holy Cross College in Indiana;

Hillsdale College, the University of Detroit Mercy, Anderson University in Indiana, Taylor University in Fort Wayne, Concordia University in Wisconsin, College for Creative Studies in Detroit;

St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Kellogg Community College, the U. S. Military Academy at West Point;

The Air Force Academy, Bowling Green State University, Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac, Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois;

Northern Michigan University, Lawrence Tech University, Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Grand Valley State University;

Calvin College, Siena Heights University, the Michigan Career and Technical Institute near Plainwell, Lake Forest College in Illinois, Saginaw Valley State University;

Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Michigan Technical University, Lake Superior State University, the Ferris State University Kendall College of Art and Design;

Central Michigan University, Colgate University, Columbia College in Chicago, Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Davenport University, DePauw University in Indiana;

Eastern Michigan University, the Michigan Tech University School of Business, Northwood University, Harvard University, the Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts;

Grace Bible College in Grand Rapids, Elmhurst College in Illinois, Ferris State University, Glen Oaks Community College, Cottey College in Kalamazoo, and the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Southfield.

Among the military organizations scheduled to take part are: the Michigan Air National Guard, the U. S. Air Force, the U. S. Marines, the Air Force ROTC program, and the Army ROTC program at WMU.

Hybrid vehicles, fuels on display

What’s already here and what’s coming down the road in future modes of personal transportation, along with the fuels that will power them, will be on display when Kalamazoo Valley Community College hosts a local observance of National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day on Saturday (Oct. 14).

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the college’s Arcadia Commons Campus and on the north block of the Kalamazoo Mall, people will be able to check out the current generation of vehicles designed to free Americans from a dependence on foreign oil and take the sting out of high gasoline prices. 

Odyssey Day 2006 will be part of a triple-header attraction in downtown Kalamazoo that day, joining the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s annual Chemistry Day and a visit to the museum by retired space-shuttle astronaut Richard “Rick” Hieb for a pair of public presentations. All of these activities are free and open to the public.

Several Southwest Michigan auto dealerships are providing more than 30 vehicles for the display as well as representatives to answer questions.  Some eight to 10 of the hybrids will be available to be driven. Owners of alternative-fuel and hybrid vehicles will be there to discuss their experiences.

The college’s program in automotive technology has also arranged for three free presentations in Anna Whitten Hall about:

♦ the coming age of plug-in, hybrid electrical vehicles;

♦ the economic ramifications if energy alternatives can replace petroleum, and why the nation should take those steps anyway;

♦ the evolving world of biodiesel as a fuel source.

Odyssey Day is also offering a seminar designed for fire fighters and emergency personnel who are dealing with different scientific and chemical principles when they respond to accidents involving hybrid vehicles and those using forms of alternative fuels.

      Complementing the college’s daylong exhibition of alternative-transportation technologies that can pave the way to energy independence on a national scale, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, from noon to 4 p.m. that day, will be hosting its 20th annual Chemistry Day in which scores of professional chemists from industry and education will be engaged in hands-on demonstrations and experiments.

The theme of this year’s salute to chemistry is the types of chemicals used in a traditional home, the miracles they perform, and the potential danger they hold.

A special guest at 2006 Chemistry Day will be Hieb, who flew three shuttle missions and was engaged in the longest spacewalk in history.

Now a vice president with Lockheed Martin Space Operations, Hieb will make a noon presentation in the museum’s Mary Jane Stryker Theater and a second one at 3 p.m.  These are also free and open to the public.

In between, he will “fly” a simulated space mission to Mars in the museum’s Challenger Learning Center with 14 youngsters 12 and older who win a drawing. Museum visitors will also be able to take in its latest nationally touring exhibit, “BRAIN: The World Inside Your Head.”

Here’s the roster of presentations in Whitten Hall and the college’s Center for New Media:

● 9:30 a.m. – Kalamazoo free-lance author Kurt Cobb will offer his perspectives on what “peak oil production” means and what steps Americans should take to prepare for the day when petroleum is no longer No. 1.

● 10 a.m. – the first-responder workshop for fire fighters in the Center for New Media.

● 11:30 a.m. – the prospects of full-sized, high-mileage, plug-in electrically powered vehicles, as seen through the eyes of Andrew Frank, a professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at the University of California – Davis.

● 1:30 p.m. – Roger Betz, chief financial officer of Michigan BioDiesel LLC, the new plant under construction in Bangor that will use oil from soybeans, restaurant grease, and fat from livestock and chickens in the production of an alternative source of energy.

There will also be information tables and door prizes as part of Kalamazoo’s first Odyssey. 

Among the door prizes awarded through drawings will be a flex-fuel kit for converting a gasoline-powered vehicle to run on E-85 (ethanol), a 2007 hybrid bike that will be fitted to the winner, a night’s stay for two at Hawthorn Suites Hotel, dinner for two at Saffron restaurant and at Burdick’s Bar & Grill, $5 fuel cards, and KVCC sweatshirts and T-shirts.

Staffing displays will be:

♥ the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; the Western Michigan University Bronco Biodiesel Team that will demonstrate how this type of fuel is manufactured and will shepherd looks at the university’s electric dune buggy;

♥ KVCC’s 1948 Chevrolet pickup truck that is powered by compressed natural gas and the auto-tech program’s Toyota Highlander that is fueled by electricity and gasoline; Breakaway Bicycles and Fitness and two bike clubs; the Eaton Corp.’s bucket truck that is powered by a diesel/electric hybrid;

♥ four vehicles featuring the latest in “clean technology” and furnished by the Bosch Corp.; Great Lakes Flex Fuels that will showcase E-85 conversion kits; and Kalamazoo Metro Transit’s coming fleet of vehicles.

      A fall-semester course in alternative fuels and advanced-technology vehicles is signaling KVCC becoming one of 27 sites in North America aligned with the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium.

The one-of-its-kind consortium, based at West Virginia University, was established in 1992. Over the last 14 years, it has fashioned instructional courses focusing on ethanol and flex-fuel vehicles, biodiesel and natural-gas vehicles, propane-powered vehicles, emissions testing, alternative-fuel applications for a variety of machinery, electric and hybrid vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells.

"Our first class," said David (Charlie) Fuller, laboratory manager for KVCC’s program in automotive technology and its point man for this new thrust, "will be an overview of alternative fuels and vehicles that utilize advanced technology.

“The rapid increase in fuel prices, coupled with concerns for the environment and air quality,” Fuller said, “has led many Americans to seek information about alternatives to gasoline, diesel fuel and other petroleum-based products.

"This introductory, two-credit course is designed to provide basic information for the general public, automotive technicians, employers, fleet operators, and instructors," he said. "The course will explore the nature and extent of the problems, as well as some viable solutions that are currently available or in development."

This inaugural course will begin Oct. 30 and will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:20 p.m. It will again be offered in the winter semester, along with a second course for training emergency "first responders" and fire fighters who have to cope with crashes involving vehicles powered by these new forms of fuel.

This will be the training consortium’s third national Odyssey, with the first two staged in 2002 and 2004. The latter day of awareness to showcase alternative technologies in transportation was held at 54 sites in 34 states.

Joining the college and the training consortium as a sponsor of Odyssey 2006 are Consumers Energy, CSM Group, Western Michigan University, the Harold Zeigler Auto Group, J. D. Byrider, Great Lakes Flex Fuel, Eaton Hybrid Power Systems, Workforce Strategies Inc., Pro Services Inc., Breakaway Bicycles & Fitness, McDonald’s Towing and Rescue, Auto Body USA – Westside, Bosch Corp., Great Lakes Chemical Service, DeNooyer Chevrolet, and Cole Auto Group.

Other consortium-aligned training sites in the Midwest are at Lansing Community College, Ohio Technical College, the University of Northwestern Ohio, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana in Gary, and Morton College in Illinois.

For more information about KVCC’s entrance into the realm of training in alternative fuels or about the upcoming 2006 Odyssey, contact Fuller at extension 4178 or dfuller@kvcc.edu.

Astronaut to share his adventures

A former Space Shuttle astronaut who flew three missions and was engaged in the longest spacewalk in history is part of Chemistry Day 2006 on Saturday (Oct. 14) at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

Richard “Rick” Hieb, now a vice president with Lockheed Martin Space Operations, will make a noon presentation in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater and a second one at 3 p.m.

In between, he will “fly” a simulated space mission to Mars in the museum’s Challenger Learning Center with 14 youngsters 12 and older who win a drawing..

All of these and other Chemistry Day activities are free. KVCC’s automotive-technology program that day will also be hosting an observance of Odyssey Day, a national showcase of alternative fuels and innovative forms of transportation, in Anna Whitten Hall and the nearby Kalamazoo Mall.

Hieb joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1979 after earning a master’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado. He was elevated to the astronauts’ corps in June of 1985.

During his three Space Shuttle missions, Hieb logged more than 750 hours circling Earth. Seventeen of those hours involved “walking” in space, including capturing and repairing a communications satellite as he took part in the only three-astronaut excursion outside of the shuttle in the longest adventure of its kind – 8.5 hours.

In all, Hieb spent 32 days in space, orbiting the Earth 511 times and traveling 13.3 million miles aboard the shuttles Discovery, Endeavour and Columbia.

For more information about Hieb’s appearance, the drawing to fly a mission with him, and Chemistry Day activities, call the museum at (269) 373-7990.

Hieb’s Kalamazoo visit is part of the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the Challenger Space Shuttle that killed seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe who was to be the first teacher into space.

Chemistry’s miracles, marvels at museum

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s 20th annual Chemistry Day on Saturday (Oct. 14) will be part of a triple-header attraction in downtown Kalamazoo.

Sharing the entertainment and educational billing with Chemistry Day is Odyssey Day 2006, a daylong showcase of alternative fuels and vehicles on the north block of the Kalamazoo Mall and in Anna Whitten Hall, and a pair of presentations in the museum by former space shuttle astronaut Rick Hieb.

A fourth adventure could be an exploration of the museum’s latest nationally touring exhibition, “BRAIN: The World Inside Your Head.” All of these attractions are free.

From noon to 4 p.m., families can observe the mysteries, miracles and marvels of this branch of science.

Cans crushed by chemical power instead of mechanical force, making a super glue out of milk in the refrigerator, and how liquid nitrogen’s extreme cold can turn a banana into a nail-driving hammer will be among the gee-whiz, hands-on experiments and demonstrations planned during the four hours.

Co-sponsored by the Kalamazoo Section of the American Chemical Society and featuring chemists from both industry and education, this year’s theme is “Your Home: It’s Built on Chemistry.”

Chemistry Day activities explore the amazing properties of liquid nitrogen, glow-in-the-dark objects, how enzymes work, the invisible-to-the-naked-eye characteristics of hair, algae, fungi and bacteria, and how to determine whether food products contain starch.

The smorgasbord of hands-on science activities for learners of all ages to sample also offers teachers the opportunity to collect free information and materials for their classrooms.

Arrangements can also be made for having chemists visit classrooms as part of National Chemistry Week.

Among this year’s experiment titles are: “Drum Crushing,” “Are You Alive?,” “Iron in Cereal,” “Kitchen Chemistry,” “Making Paper,” “Slime,” “Biodiesel,” “Dancing Milk,” and “Cool Chemistry” that demonstrates the strange powers of dry ice.

What’s already here and coming down the road in future modes of personal transportation, along with the fuels that will power them, will be on display when the college’s program in automotive technology hosts a local observance of National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Odyssey Day.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the college’s Arcadia Commons Campus and on the Kalamazoo Mall, people will be able to check out the current generation of vehicles designed to free Americans from a dependence on foreign oil and take the sting out of high gasoline prices. 

Hieb, now a vice president with Lockheed Martin Space Operations, will make a noon presentation in the museum’s Mary Jane Stryker Theater and a second one at 3 p.m. The former Space Shuttle astronaut flew three missions and was engaged in the longest spacewalk in history.

For more information about Chemistry Day at the museum, call Annette Hoppenworth at extension 7995.

Prepping for the unexpected

From blizzards to blight to pandemics to terrorist attacks, there are basic steps for people to take in preparing themselves and their families for the unexpected.

All of this will be covered on Wednesday (Oct. 18) from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. in the Student Commons Theater when Linda Buzas, the public-health coordinator and disaster manager for Kalamazoo County, talks about “All-Hazard Emergency Preparedness.”

Her presentation is free and open to the public.

She will offer a roster of how-to’s for preparing individuals, families, communities and workplaces in the event of a variety of worst-case scenarios.

Weight Watchers at Work starts Oct. 26

You can be a loser and proud of it.

An information and registration meeting is slated for noon Thursday (Oct. 19) in Room 4380 on the Texas Township Campus.

A nine-week Weight Watchers at Work effort will begin Oct. 26 and conclude Jan. 11. All nine sessions will be held at noon on Thursdays.

The cost to new members will be $119.25, while the cost to returning members will be $111.75. Participants can pay by check, credit card or payroll deduction.

For more information, call extension 4408.

Wednesday is deadline for Energy Summit

Manufacturers wanting to take a big bite out of their energy costs and to learn about current technologies that can do that as well as what’s on the horizon are invited to take part in a day-long conference.

“Energy Summit 2006,” which is also open to businesses and enterprises of all kinds, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 20, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fetzer Center on the campus of Western Michigan University.

The fee is $35 for the series of presentations and break-out sessions. The deadline to register is Wednesday (Oct. 18).

Speakers and presenters will detail how the right tools and resources, coupled with a strategic approach to cutting energy consumption, can improve a business’ bottom line and promote global competitiveness.

According to the co-hosting institutions, 80 percent of the motors in operation in today’s industry are low-efficiency units and waste up to 15 percent of a company’s energy bill.

Among the morning speakers will be:

♦ R. Neal Elliott, program director for agriculture and industry at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Environment in Washington, at 8:30 a.m. His topic is “The Industrial Energy Price Crises – Efficiency in the Solution.”

♦ Karen Harbert, assistant secretary for policy and international affairs for the U. S. Department of Energy – the noon luncheon speaker will review current and future policies of the federal government regarding this key component to economic vitality.

♦ Christopher Russell, formerly affiliated with the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, at 9 a.m. He will talk about “What Your Management Needs to Know About Energy Cost Controls.” Russell is now a principal with Energy PathFinder Management Consulting in Baltimore, Md.

♦ Ed Smith of The Hatch Group, a global company with offices throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, Russia and the Middle East. His topic at 9:30 a.m. is “Gaining Top-Level Buy-In to Energy Management.”

♦ Alecia Ward, president and chief executive officer of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, will be at the lectern at 10:30 a.m. to discuss “Regional Energy-Efficiency Programs and Policy: The Role of Partnerships.”

♦ Bruce Rasher, director of economic development for Consumers Energy Co., a Marshall resident, and a master’s recipient from WMU, will address “The 3 E’s: Environment, Energy and the Economy” at 11 a.m.

After lunch, the breakout sessions will feature energy-control tracks for management, facilities, process, and technology personnel from 1 through 4 p.m.

Case studies will bring home the dollar-value opportunities that all manufactures and businesses can realize. Speakers will build an awareness of the breakthrough technologies evolving to boost energy efficiency. The afternoon sessions will include presentations by both traditional and alternative suppliers of energy.

Also available to participants during the day will be free energy-management assessments in which company representatives will be able to compare their current energy-management strategy and operations against best-practice profiles and determine the significant gaps that require attention.

The summit sessions will show participants the money-saving steps needed to keep revenues in house and allow internal investment in equipment and personnel, instead of those dollars being wasted through inefficient energy practices.

The presenters at the 30-minute afternoon sessions will include representatives of Cascade Engineering, the energy office of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Development, Rockwell Automation, Armstrong International, Star-Smith Fibercast, the WMU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Emerson Process Management, Structure-Tec, Perceptive Industries, Flowserve Corp., Pfizer Inc., the Hydraulic Institute, AZON USA Inc., Pulverdryer USA Inc., and Applied Flow Technology.

Some of the break-out session topics are: “Best Practice Case Study,” “Pump Systems Matter,” “State Energy Initiatives,” “Energy Efficient Windows,” “How Companies Have Saved $1 Million in Natural Gas Costs,” “Anaerobic Digestion for Renewable Energy Production,” “Fiberglass Piping to Save Energy,” “To Manage Energy, You Need to Measure It,” “Building Energy Assessments,” “and “Creating a Culture of Energy Awareness.”

“Energy Summit 2006” is limited to 250 attendees.

It is being co-sponsored by Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Michigan Technical Education Center, Flowserve Corp., Southwest Michigan First, and the WMU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

For more information or to register, call (269) 353-1253 or use this website: programs/energy.

Employee-wellness screenings continue

Linda Howard of Holtyn and Associates is conducting free wellness screenings and counseling through Oct. 27 for full-time KVCC employees and their spouses who are both new to the college’s program or continuing participants.

The one-on-one appointments include a glucose analysis, an HDL and cholesterol evaluation, a blood-pressure check, a body-composition reading, an assessment of cardio-respiratory fitness, an overall health survey, an individual fitness assessment, and a personal consultation.

Here’s the schedule for 20-minute appointments for health-risk assessments and wellness counseling slated for Room 128A in Anna Whitten Hall on the Arcadia Commons Campus:

( Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. (None available from 4 to 4:40 p.m..)

( Thursday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.

( Friday, Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 11:40 a. m.

With all sessions to be held in Room 6044 in The Student Commons, the remaining Texas Township Campus schedule is:

( Tuesday (Oct. 17); Thursday (Oct. 19); Friday (Oct. 20); Monday, Oct. 23; and Tuesday, Oct. 24 -- all from 9 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. (None available from noon to 1.)

( Wednesday (Oct. 18) from 1 to 6:40 p.m.

The 20-minute screenings can be done on work time. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call Teresa Fornoff at extension 4492 or Jim Turcott at 4113 on Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

All full-time staff, faculty and administrators – and their spouses -- are encouraged to sign up for this college-sponsored program, even if previous screenings had not identified any health risks.

Participants should wear comfortable, loosely fitting clothing. Short-sleeve tops are recommended. Fasting is not required, but it is advised not to consume caffeinated beverages two hours prior to the assessment and to refrain from smoking.

The testing is paid for by the college.

“Our employee-wellness program has been successful in helping to control health-care costs for the college and in assisting staff members achieve their personal goals,” Turcott said. “Our challenge now is to consolidate our successes and continue to grow the program. All of our participation is very important.”

All participants must complete a health survey prior to their screening appointment This can be done by going the Holtyn website, and following the step-by-step instructions.

United Way at KVCC at 73 percent

The latest batch of donations has taken KVCC’s campaign for the Greater Kalamazoo United Way to $26,301, or 73 percent of the goal of $36,066.

The overall GKUW goal for the community is $10.75 million.

As of noon Friday, some 132 KVCC’ers had stepped forward to take part. As has always been the case, 11th-hour donors come forward and the campaign team of Steve Doherty will keep charting the pledges into next week.

“If individuals increase their contribution by at least $1 per week or $52 for the entire year,” says Steve Doherty, who has again headed up the college’s campaign, “they will receive a set of coupons for discounts at everything from local dry cleaners to movie tickets, restaurants and more, compliments of local businesses in and around Kalamazoo. The value of the 2006 ‘Caring Coupons’ is more than $200.

“Folks should return their pledge cards to their area representatives or send it directly to Denise Baker,” he said. “All pledge forms should be returned regardless of one’s decision to contribute.”

Assisting Doherty and Baker are Eric Schreur at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Ola Johnson at Whitten Hall and the Center for New Media, Tony Ide in Facility Services, Lynne Morrison and Grace Vanderberg at the Texas Township Campus, and Lesa Ward at the KVCC M-TEC.

Payroll deduction is available and will go into effect Jan. 1.

The GKUW distributes the donated funds to more than 50 human-service agencies serving Kalamazoo County residents.

In addition to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, organizations benefiting from the campaign are the YWCA of Kalamazoo, Borgess Visiting Nurses and Hospice, the Kalamazoo County Family YMCA, Senior Services Inc., the Boys and Girls Club of Kalamazoo, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Kalamazoo, the Portage Community Outreach Center, Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan, Douglass Community Association, the Community Healing Centers (formerly The Guidance Clinic), the Constance Brown Hearing Center, Family and Children Services, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Hispanic American Council, Senior Services, Ministry with Community, MRC Industries, and Goodwill Industries of Southwest Michigan.

Statewide organizations that also benefit include the Autism Society of Michigan, Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan, the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, and the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency.

KVCC made its 2005 goal by collecting $34,678 from 189 participants.

The comparative totals for other years are: 2004, $32,344 from 188 people; 2003, $32,690 from 194; and 2002, $30,802 from 199.

Stitching for Ministry with Community

The people served by Ministry with Community will be the beneficiary of “Stitches for Charity,” an event being organized by “Knit One. . .Purl Two-Gether,” the college’s knitting group, for Friday, Nov. 3.

From noon to 10 p.m. that day, knitters, crotchetiers and sew-ers are invited to stop by Room 1510 (The Gallery) on the Texas Township Campus to do their stitching best to create hats, scarves, gloves and mittens for the organization that serves the community’s poor, homeless, mentally ill, and those recovering from substance abuse.

Organizer Sue Visser said the event is open to anybody who would like to make winter apparel for charity. “This is not limited to those who take part in our knitting group,” she said. “The idea is for people to come when they can, and leave when they must. Newly purchased winter goods can also be donated.”

Such personal-care items as soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, and toothpaste will also be accepted.

“We are also inviting college personnel to join us for this fun and worthwhile day while we work together to help keep our neighbors warm this winter,” Visser said. She can be contacted at extension 4819 for more information about helping with “Stitches for Charity.”

There will be finger-food snacks, door prizes, music and an environment warmed by the fact the people are helping other people.

Visser is also looking for some creative soul or souls at KVCC to prepare a “Stitches for Charity” display in the main lobby’s showcase. She intends to exhibit stitched, sewed and crocheted items that have already been completed and add others as they are done. Door-prize donations are also needed.

Those who would like to join “Knit One. . .Purl Two-Gether” at its weekly knitting gathering on Wednesdays should also contact her.

‘Quo vadis’ after KVCC

Community college students and Southwest Michigan high schoolers who are pondering that pathway toward a four-year degree are invited to take part in the “College Transfer Fair” on Monday (Oct. 16) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Representatives from 30 colleges and universities will be on the Texas Township Campus to speak to students about the whys and wherefores of moving on to a four-year institution.

During the College Transfer Fair, they will talk about specialty majors on their campuses, available programs, the possibilities of scholarships for transfer students, admission requirements, deadlines to register, and what community college courses will transfer to their institutions.

Sponsored and organized by the KVCC Office of Counseling, the three-hour event gives students and parents the opportunity to research and gather information on four-year schools without leaving the area.

Among the four-year institutions taking part in the 2006 edition of the transfer fair are Andrews University, Central Michigan University, Columbia College in Chicago, Cornerstone University, Davenport University, Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Kettering University, Lake Superior State University, Lawrence Tech University, Michigan State University, Miller College in Battle Creek, Oakland University in Rochester, the University of Detroit Mercy, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University

Representatives will also be available from schools that specialize in non-traditional approaches to earning a bachelors degree, such as University of Phoenix’s on-line degree programs. For more information, call the counseling office at extension 4123.

Be on the ball and in better shape

KVCC employees and their spouses who sign up for a special fitness workshop will receive a free exercise ball.

Guiding the “Get on the Ball” workshops will be Sheila Rupert, the latest addition to the KVCC Wellness and Fitness Center. She’ll also be leading two sessions on “Stretching Stress Management.”

Here’s the Texas Township Campus schedule:

♥ “Get on the Ball” – Thursday, Nov. 2, in the Student Commons Theater from noon to 1.

♥ “Stretching for Stress Management” – Thursday, Nov. 16, in the Student Commons Theater from noon to 1.

She’ll be on the Arcadia Commons Campus on:

♥ Thursday, Oct. 26, for “Get on the Ball” from noon to 1 in 128 B of Anna Whitten Hall.

♥ and on Thursday, Dec. 7, for “Stretching for Stress Management” from noon to 1 in 128 B of Anna Whitten Hall.

Rupert is nationally certified American Council on Exercise personal trainer in pilates, yoga, and group fitness. Involved in the profession for more than 10 years, she is the former fitness director at the Portage YMCA and has been features in Kalamazoo Gazette articles about the benefits of pilates. She’s also been an instructor of fitness classes at the Portage Senior Center in addition to teaching drop-in classes for KVCC employees and their spouses.

One of her favorite tools is the exercise ball that brings elements of balance and challenge to workouts. These are essential elements for building one’s core strength, for stretching and for flexibility.

For more information about these workshops, personal fitness goals, and how to receive an exercise ball, contact Rupert at 488-4367, at extension 1305, or at srupert7750@kvcc.edu.

Planning-for-retirement sessions Wednesday

The Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) will stage its retirement-planning seminar twice on Wednesday (Oct. 18) in K-RESA’s Wile Auditorium.

"Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life" will be presented at 4 and 6 p.m. in K-RESA’s headquarters at 1819 E. Milham Road.

Each free seminar will cover:

* health-insurance coverage after retirement, which is different from what active employees receive

* purchasing service credit

* pension options including the equated option

* retirement planning and how you can maximize your MPSERS pension

* rights as a MPSERS retiree and who best represents them

* any questions from the participants.

The association has retained retirement-planning specialists who are staffing what is called the MARSP Retirement Planning Services. Among the presenters on Oct. 18 will be Gary Lucas, Philip Bouman and Alta Lahner.

The first two specialize in retirement planning for public-school employees and in MPSERS benefits. Lahner, an association retiree, will provide insights into her experiences with retirement and health insurance.

Those who would like to attend either of these sessions should contact Cheryl Grinnell at extension 4435 as soon as possible.

Last de-fib training this week

Training in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) in cases of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is available this week.

Arranged by the KVCC Office of Institutional Safety, the last of the three 90-minute workshops open to all college employees is set for Thursday (Oct. 19) at 3:30 p.m. on the Texas Township Campus.

There are three ways to register: tap into the college’s staff-development calendar to reach the automatic on-line system; call the registration hotline at 488-4640; or e-mail workshop@kvcc.edu.

In the event of a SCA that can happen to people of all ages, the only quick response is defibrillation provided by an AED.

In the United States, more than 350,000 people die each year from SCA before reaching a hospital. In many cases, SCA can be reversed with early defibrillation, which involves shocking the heart with an electric current that allows it to re-establish a normal rhythm.

To be most effective, defibrillation must occur as soon as possible after the onset of the cardiac arrest. The chance of survival decreases by 7 to 10 percent per minute until defibrillation. AEDs have been shown to be easy to use (by non-medical personal), are safe, and are effective in saving lives.

It is as important to know the techniques of utilizing an AED as it is to know the techniques of CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation).

For more information, call Amy Louallen at extension 4576.

Monster flick, ‘Harvey,’ ‘Sting’ next in series

This weekend’s billing in the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s series of screen classics is “The Golem,” a 1920 silent film made in Germany and regarded as the first of the great “monster movies.”

It will be shown on Sunday (Oct. 15) at 3 p.m. in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater.

The series’ roster of family movies will feature “Harvey,” one of James Stewart’s classic roles as Elwood P. Dowd who has a tall rabbit as a friend, on Saturday (Oct. 21) at 1 p.m.

“The Sting,” which paired Robert Redford and Paul Newman for a second time in 1973, is the Oct. 21-22 billing on that Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

“The Golem” is based on a Jewish legend that reportedly spurred Mary Shelley to write her classic manuscript about Dr. Frankenstein’s monster.

The basis for actor/director Paul Wegener’s “Der Golem: Wie Er in die Welt Kam” (The Golem: How He Came into the World) is the saga about persecuted Jews in medieval Prague (16th century Czechoslovakia) creating an artificial monster to protect themselves from their enemies.

Filmmakers in France and The Czech Republic have since taken a shot at telling the story about a creature brought to life to defend the Jews against the pogroms that were mounted, based on the nefarious claim that before every Passover, Jews used the blood of Christian children as part of a baking recipe. These claims of “blood libel” led to chilling massacres of Jews.

In the film, the Jewish Golem is not a perfect antidote to terror. It is flawed as were the emotions of the Jews who made it. The sculpting rabbi and his two collaborators used clay, as Jewish legend said God used in making man, to form the 9-foot, tremendously strong figure and bring it to life. In Jewish liturgy, clay is the symbol of imperfection.

Wegener actually made “Der Golem” first in 1914, but it is lost. Wegener returned to the role in 1920 in a second German film of the same name and loosely based on "The Golem of Prague."

The Jews are portrayed as being weird magicians who live in a strange expressionistic ghetto. Historians say the early parts of the film seem to presage the anti-Semitism that was soon to engulf Germany. The images of the Jewish community are not all that different looking than those of propaganda films of the following years.

In 1950, Stewart starred in the film adaptation of Mary Chase’s touching play about a middle-aged tippler with an imaginary huge white rabbit as his companion. The film is full of wonderful dialogue and memorable moments.

As the gentle Dowd, Stewart is under pressure from his relatives to enter a mental hospital. His sister is constantly apologizing for brother Elwood’s nutty behavior. The engrossing script questions the definition of “normal.” Stewart was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as was Josephine Hull for best supporting actress as his beleaguered sister.

Complemented by Scott Joplin’s ragtime music, “The Sting” is the story of two small-time Chicago flimflammers who avenge the death of a friend by tricking, or “stinging,” a big-time mobster. Newman and Redford are the con men who outsmart mobster Robert Shaw.

The plot is complex, but that doesn’t spoil the film’s overall sparkle and action. More important, the key scenes at the end, when the swindle of the mobster unfolds, are unpredictable.

“The Sting” won Oscars for best picture, best director (David S. Ward), and best story and screenplay based on factual material or material not previously published. Redford was nominated for best actor, but the Oscar that year went to Jack Lemmon in “Save the Tiger.”

Through the end of the calendar year, the museum is showing a variety of classic motion pictures, epics from the silent-film era, movies targeted for children, and five-star, independent productions from the international scene. They are being shown on weekends and Thursday evenings in the Stryker Theater. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students. However, tickets are $3 only for the Saturday-afternoon matinees targeted for families.

The silent films are being shown at the museum on Sundays at 3 p.m. The Hollywood classics, like “The Sting,” are booked for Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. The matinees for families are set for 1 p.m. on Saturdays, while the foreign independents will be booked for 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays..

Here’s the schedule through the rest of the calendar year:

● Oct. 26: “Anytown, USA” (United States).

● Oct. 28-29: “Young Frankenstein” (1974).

● Nov. 5: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923) with Lon Chaney.

● Nov. 11-12: “Sunset Boulevard” (1950).

● Nov. 16: “Day Break” (Iran).

● Nov. 18-19: “8 ½” (Italy, 1963).

● Nov. 25: “Fantasia,” the 1940 Disney classic.

● Nov. 26: “Metropolis” (Germany, 1927).

● Dec. 2-3: “A Clockwork Orange” (1971).

● Dec. 10: “Steamboat Bill Jr.” (1928) with Buster Keaton.

● Dec. 14: “A Peck on the Cheek” (India).

● Dec. 16: “The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992) about nightmares on Christmas Eve.

● Dec. 16-17: “Vertigo” (1958).

The theme of documentaries being shown at the museum has shifted to PBS productions that focus on the brain.

From Oct. 21 through Dec. 9, segments of “The Secret Life of the Brain” will be the big-screen attraction – Oct. 21, “Baby’s Brain: Wider Than the Sky”; Nov. 11, “Child’s Brain: Syllable from Sound”; Nov. 18, “Teenage Brain: A World of Their Own”; Dec. 2, “Adult Brain: To Think By Feeling”; and Dec. 9, “Aging Brain: Through Many Lives.” Each begins at 4 p.m.

Tolerance, acceptance theme of Gay Straight Alliance programs

Changing society's perspectives, the AIDS impact on the gay community, and transgender issues are among the topics being addressed at October presentations at KVCC's Texas Township Campus.

As part of Gay and Lesbian History Month, the KVCC Gay Straight Alliance has scheduled a guest-speaker series under the theme of "From Tolerance to Acceptance: Understanding LGBT Communities."

All presentations are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Here is the schedule of remaining programs to be held in the Student Commons on Wednesdays in October:

♦ "A Brief Look at the Effect of HIV/AIDS on the LGBT Community" by Adam Martin, a prevention specialist for Kalamazoo CARES, a Greater Kalamazoo United Way agency, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18 in the Commons Theater.

♦ "A Look at Transgender Issues" by Eric Fleming of the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 in the Commons Theater.

More information is available at this web site: .

M-TEC seminar focuses on workers compensation

The status of workers compensation, how Michigan stacks up with its 49 other counterparts in costs and benefits, and the workings of the worker-protection system will be covered in a half-day presentation at the KVCC M-TEC on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Attorney Murray Gorchow, the chair of the Michigan Workers Compensation Board of Magistrates, will share speaking duties with Kathie Vaught, a workers-compensation specialist for the state, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The fee is $10.

Gorchow, who became involved in workers compensation right after his graduation for the University of Michigan Law School in 1972, will cover in his remarks both pre-trial and trial procedures, settlement agreements, mediation, burdens of proof, current issues and cases in workers compensation, and an overview of how Michigan’s system compares to other states.

Vaught, one of the 1987 founders of an initiative that is now part of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s stable of services, will offer an update on workers-compensation insurance from an employer’s point of view.

She will be available to analyze a company’s reigning policies and suggest changes that better serve an enterprise and its employees.

The session is co-sponsored by the college’s M-TEC and the Kalamazoo Human Resource Management Association.

It will include a question-and-answer portion.

Gorchow specialized in workers-compensation cases during 32 years of private practice. In 2004, he was appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm as a magistrate in the state’s Workers Compensation Hearing Office in Detroit.

Last December, the governor picked him to his current duties as board chair. Gorchow is the author of “Michigan Workers Compensation Rights and Responsibilities.”

For more information or to register, call (269) 353-1253 or . Registration that day begins at 8 a.m.

‘The Voyage of the Atticus Finch’

The latest edition of Encore magazine contains an account of “The Voyage of the Atticus Finch,” instructor Rick Brill’s real-life adventure of restoring a vintage Great Lakes tugboat, his sometimes hair-raising chug from the eastern end of Lake Erie to a new port of call in St. Joseph, and what the trip taught him about life.

The last KVCC instructor to be featured in Encore, which is distributed at Miller Auditorium events, was Brill’s political-science colleague, Tim Farrow, who told the story of his sabbatical visit to the trenches of World War I in Europe.

‘Leading at a Higher Level’ is M-TEC topic

Fashioning core leadership skills, polishing decision-making skills, and forging a definitive model for high-performing organizations are the focus of a half-day video conference slated for Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the KVCC Michigan Technical Education Center.

“Leading at a Higher Level” will feature presentations by:

♦ Jack Welch, former chairman and chief executive officer of General Electric who will outline successful leadership strategies.

♦ Ken Blanchard, who will detail the keys for structuring a high-performance organization.

♦ Marcus Buckingham, who will define what effective managers and leaders do, and how they operate.

♦ Stephen Covey, who will introduce a new paradigm for unleashing human potential.

The session, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., costs $189, and that includes lunch and seminar materials.

Unlike other video conferences, this one will feature four separate roundtable discussions with each presenter. The registration deadline is Nov. 7.

Participants in this live broadcast via satellite can register online at or e-mail at mtec@kvcc.edu.

ECCU launches win-win promotion

Through Nov. 20, Educational Community Credit Union (ECCU) is offering a promotion that can benefit KVCC faculty, staff and students, and the college as well.

Those affiliated with KVCC are eligible to open a checking account, receive a $25 “reward,” and qualify the college for a matching gift.

Each successful checking-account referral earns another $25 gift.

Those who take part in this “Everybody Wins” promotion to increase the number of checking accounts at ECCU are entered into a drawing.

The winner of that will receive $1,000, plus a $1,000 donation to the school or educational program of the winner’s choice.

Among the benefits of an ECCU checking account are:

$ No minimum balance required

$ No monthly service fees

$ No per-check charges

$ Free debit card

$ Free online “HomeBanking”, “TellerPhone 24” and “CheckFree WebPay”

$ Account access 24/7 at thousands of surcharge-free ATMs nationwide

$ 50 free checks with the first check order

An ECCU checking account can be opened at any ECCU office through a financial-service representative.

For more information, call (269) 375-6702 or visit the website at .

The promotion is available through the end of November or until the number of $25 rewards reaches $30,000.

The offer applies only to new ECCU checking accounts with a minimum deposit of $25 and the placement of the first check order. ECCU membership eligibility is required.

Donations are limited to educational organizations within Michigan.

Additional information is also available by calling Susie Martin at (269) 544-3405 or e-mail at smartin@.

Cemeteries are ‘Sunday’ topic on Oct. 29

The stories of Kalamazoo’s cemeteries provide insight into the community’s social and cultural history, and that journey into the past will be the attraction for the next installment of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s “Sunday Series.”

“A Look at Kalamazoo Cemeteries” will be curator Tom Dietz’s topic on Oct. 29 at 1:30 p.m. in the Mary Jane Stryker Theater. All “Sunday Series” events are free.

On the eve of Halloween, Dietz will bring to life three of Kalamazoo’s 19th-century cemeteries – West Street, Mountain Home, and Riverside.

“While Mountain Home and Riverside are well known,” Dietz said, “most residents don’t realize that they pass Kalamazoo’s first cemetery every time they drive by South Westnedge Park,” Dietz says. “Several hundred of Kalamazoo’s first settlers are buried there.”

The slide lecture will cover the history of the cemeteries, some of their more prominent residents, and a look at the interesting architecture and iconography of tombstones.

The accounts of Kalamazoo’s pioneers reflect not only their awareness of native burial grounds but also the need to provide adequately for their own dead. The 1880 History of Kalamazoo County identifies the cemeteries established for most of the townships and towns in the county. Titus Bronson, in his efforts to secure the designation of his town as the county seat, promised to set aside two acres for use as a public cemetery.

Bronson’s promised cemetery, near what today is the intersection of South and Henrietta streets, was never used. Rather, in December 1833, Cyren and Mary Ann Burdick, the brother and sister-in-law of Justus Burdick who owned the town’s first hotel, the Kalamazoo House, donated three acres of land at the corner of Park Place and what is now South Westnedge Avenue “to be set apart and reserved as a common burying ground.”

The first person buried there was Joseph Wood whose son was Smith Wood for whom Woods Lake is named. Wood’s funeral was in December 1833. The final burial in the West Street Cemetery, as it was known, took place in May 1862.

That same year, the Kalamazoo Board of Health ordered the cemetery closed. Some of those buried there were removed and re-interred at either the Mountain Home or Riverside cemeteries. For the next 20 years, it remained a cemetery but was neglected.

In 1884, the cemetery was converted into a public park. Graves that were not removed elsewhere were left alone but their stones were turned over and covered with a new layer of soil. Today, the cemetery is known also as Pioneer Park.

The Board of Health was able to close West Cemetery in 1862 because two other cemeteries had opened – Mountain Home in 1850 and Riverside in 1861.

Headstones at Mountain Home offer a look at Kalamazoo’s history over the decades, from ordinary citizens to the prominent. There are politicians: Gov. Epaphroditus Ransom; U. S. senators Charles Stuart, Julius C. Burrows, and Francis Stockbridge; and Allen Potter, the first mayor.

Educators such as Lucinda H. Stone and her husband, James, can be found there as can social reformers like Mary Pengelly. Banker and industrialist Jeremiah P. Woodbury, casket manufacturer Oscar Allen, “The Mint King” Albert M. Todd, paper manufacturers George Bardeen and Samuel Gibson, and pharmaceutical pioneer Dr. W. E. Upjohn are among those whose final resting place is Mountain Home Cemetery.

Col. Frederick W. Curtenius returned from the Civil War in 1862, having served one year with the 6th Michigan Infantry at the age of 56. A widower, he married his second wife, Catherine Woodbury, and together they had six children. Five died in January 1881, victims of a diphtheria epidemic. Tombstones tell that tragic story.

Originally adjacent to Mountain Home, but now part of it, is the Jewish cemetery. Purchased by the Temple B’Nai Israel, such prominent members of the 19th century Jewish community as Mannes Israel and Meyer and Bernhard Desenberg are buried there.

A historic marker is located near the tomb of Edward Israel who died on an ill-fated Arctic expedition in 1872.

In 1861, a second cemetery opened in Kalamazoo Township just east of the village. Riverside Cemetery, as it was called, encompasses the land where Rix Robinson operated a fur-trading post in the mid-1820s.

In 1862, the board agreed to sell acreage to St. Augustine Church for use as a Catholic cemetery. Just north of that lies a small separate plot originally purchased by the early 20th century Orthodox Jewish Congregation of the House of Moses. In more recent decades, a Latvian section was developed.

Although it opened during the Civil War, the cemetery was not a response to the war. However, one section has become a burial site for veterans of that war. Their graves are grouped around a monument erected by the Grand Army of the Republic, depicting a Union soldier, looking south as he stands guard against any future rebellion. In a similar plot nearby, veterans of the Spanish American War can be found.

Such familiar names from Kalamazoo’s history as Col. Joseph Westnedge, manufacturer William Shakespeare Jr., Charles A. Hatfield of the Kalamazoo Corset Co. and Chester Z. Bronson, first director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, are part of the Riverside inventory.

Upcoming “Sunday Series” topics are:

● “The Things of History: Artifacts and Their Stories” on Nov. 12.

● “Shopping in Kalamazoo in the 19th Century” on Dec. 3.

For further information, contact Dietz at extension 7984. The second-half of the series will begin on Jan. 14 and run through the first week of May.

Weavers, fiber artists to sell wares on campus

With the holidays just around the corner, the Weavers Guild of Kalamazoo and area fiber artists will hold their three-day sale of one-of-its-kind gifts and annual exhibition Nov. 16-18 at the Texas Township Campus.

The 130-member Weavers Guild will be opening its 39th annual show and sale on Thursday, Nov. 16, with viewing hours set for 5 to 8 p.m. The Friday hours will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the wrap-up schedule is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19. Admission is free.

On the block at the pre-Thanksgiving shopping opportunity for the holidays will be Christmas ornaments, wall hangings, hand-woven and felted rugs, hand-woven table linens, baskets, shawls, scarves, jewelry, hand-spun and hand-knitted sweaters and other garments, hand-spun specialty yarn for knitters, specialty gifts, and pillows.

On all three days, guild members will be demonstrating their spinning, weaving and knitting skills.

While some guild members market nationally, others craft their items only for this annual event. The members hail from throughout Southwest Michigan and are dedicated to the perpetuation of this venerable art form. Profits from the sale are donated to the Weavers Guild of Kalamazoo Inc.

Founded in 1968, the guild’s mission is to teach and share with the community the time-honored craft of handweaving and the textile arts. When requested, members will volunteer their time to give demonstrations of weaving, spinning and knitting. Study groups and workshops are also scheduled throughout the year.

For more information about the guild and the annual exhibition, contact Katy Takahashi at (269) 375-8465. Her e-mail address is kayteru@.

The Texas Township Campus that weekend will also be hosting the annual fall sale of KVCC art and ceramics students, and ART ETC’s yearly event.

‘Wild Game’ dinner supports youth camp

The Van Buren Youth Camp, whose board of directors includes KVCC pioneer humanities instructor Bob Badra, will stage its popular fund-raiser on Saturday, Oct. 21 – the 45th annual Wild Game and Harvest Dinner.

The camp, which has been in operation since 1950 on Eagle Lake near Bloomingdale, will be serving a menu of wild and domestic meats, potatoes, vegetables, salads, soups, breads, desserts and drinks.

Tickets for the feast, which begins at 5 and ends at 7:30 p.m. at the camp lodge, are $8 for adults, and $6 for seniors and children under 10. Proceeds go for “camperships.” The youth camp is located at 12370 45th St. in Van Buren County.

Those who would like to donate some wild game or other food for the dinner can contact Georgie Washburn at (269) 624-6552.

Trustee’s spouse a PTK inductee

The Alpha Rho Nu chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society has inducted 85 students, including the wife of a member of the KVCC Board of Trustees, into its membership.

Kathleen “Kathy” Young, wife of Trustee T. Kenneth Young, was one of the KVCC students who have earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average and who took part in ceremonies on Oct. 8 in the Student Commons Theater.

The guest speaker is Julie Rogers, the Democratic Party’s candidate for the 61st District in the Michigan House of Representatives. She is facing incumbent Republican Jack Hoogendyk in the Nov. 7 election. Her topic was “Civic Engagement,” a call for students – and people of all ages – to get involved in local, state and national issues at least as voters.

The inductees are:

Heather Albert, John Beams, Brittany Beeler, Amanda Bell, Elvera Bennett, Jane Blohm, Vanessa Boensch, Justin Bohnett, Brittani Bovin, John Boylan, JoAnne Crane, George Crow, Nicole Darling;

Beyene Desta, Sarah Edison Kay, Julie Fee, Keyanna Ford, Erika Fotis, David Furtado, Rebecca Gates, Ashley Gavrun, Barbara Gerhard, Joseph Gray, Sara Grevers, Nitasha Grogg, Tammy Holwerda;

Randy Homic, Marty Hoover, Matthew Hosey, Matthew Houser, Sara Jenkins, Angelica Johnston, Laura Keckler Davis, Nancy Kivel Pinkster, Travis Kurtz, Richard Leach, Sara Macak, Layne Machuca;

Cathleen McInnis, Matthew Moerdyk, David Moon, Christopher Mowell, Mitchell Mulholland, Nghiem Nguyen, Erica Oldford, Amber Peters, Krista Peters, Michael Porath, Christine Reed, Elizabeth Reynolds;

Emmeline Robinson Towne, Rachel Rogers, James Rouster, Amy Rustenholtz, Rose Samra, Khine Saw, Brenda Saylor, Phillip Schaffer, Heather Schepperly, Cari Sebright, Kasey Shafer, Jill Shull, Jacquelyn Simon;

Michael Smith, Julie Spencer, Terri Stevens, Randi Stevens, Limra Sweitzer, Dustin Taber, Chad Taylor, Ronda Taylor, Craig TenBusschen, Jason Toma, Lindsey VandenBerg, Ashley Vanderberg, Jaime Vazquez;

Kathryn von Maur, Thyra Walls, Ted Warner, Andrew Way, Leandra Williams, KVCC employee Janice Wilson, Kathleen Young, Michelle Zebrowski, and Tamara Zellmer.

And finally. . .

Those who are business-news junkies should keep their money-hungry eyes open for these possible mergers in the upcoming months:

Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.

Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers will join forces and become Poly, Warner, Cracker.

3M will merge with Goodyear and become MMMGood.

Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become ZipAudiDoDa.

FedEx is expected to join its major competitor, UPS, and become FedUP.

Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become Fairwell Honeychild.

Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become Poupon Pants.

And Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become Knott NOW!

And here’s a bonus chuckle:

Retired New York Times columnist William Safire, in his letter for the 2005 Dana Foundation Annual Report, talked about an educator who was asked his view on the biggest problem for education today -- ignorance or apathy. In a split second, the wise man replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

☻☻☻☻☻☻

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