Medication disposal bins will be on hand at the WC Community event Each year the White Cloud Police Department host a Community & Kids Picnic. This year it will be held on Tuesday August 15th from 5-7pm. at the White Cloud Rotary Park (formerly Raceway Park) with free food, games and giveaways for families. “We have had very generous donations from local businesses allowing us to purchase a number of prizes and giveaways for the event this year,” aid WC Police Chief Dan Evans. Police Officers, Deputies, K-9 handlers, Firefighters, ERT (swat) Team members, other public safety personnel and their vehicles with equipment will be on hand for our community to meet and greet and the fine folks from Rockin Newaygo County who have captured the citizenry with their initiative will be hosting rock painting and there will also be face painting, water balloon competition , and music for attendees to enjoy. This year Headway the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition for Newaygo County will be on hand to collect unused and expired medications and needles as part of the ongoing action Headway has undertaken to reduce the availabilty of prescription drugs. “Headway is excited to partner with the White Cloud Police Department to allow community members to get rid of unused and/or expired medications,” said Kaleigh Buris Coordinator of Health and Prevention Services for NCRESA. “Our goal is to keep youth safe and this is just one way we get the opportunity to do that.” The initiative undertaken four years ago has collected an amount of medications equal to the weight of a Toyota Prius according to Ms. Buris. “Data shows that nearly half of the time that youth abuse prescription drugs, they are accessing it from their parents’ and grandparents’ medicine cabinets,” adds Rachel Uganski Project Coordinator for Drug-Free Communities for NCRESA. “ Help keep Newaygo County youth safe by properly disposing of your unused and/or expired medications.”
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Gerber Memorial opens walk-in clinic in Fremont, giving patients an added option for healthcare
Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial has a new Convenient Care Walk-in Clinic in Fremont, adding to the walk-in option already available at the Gerber Memorial Convenient Care Walk-In Clinic in Newaygo. Convenient Care is a clinic where people who feel ill or have minor injuries – but don’t require emergency care – can get immediate attention without an appointment. The newly opened Convenient Care Walk-In Clinic in Fremont is located at 204 West Main Street. The Fremont Walk-In clinic is open Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Convenient Care addresses a critical need for immediate care services in Newaygo County,” said Adam Perez, director of operations at Gerber Memorial. “We are excited to open a Convenient Care location in Fremont where families can walk in for their health needs without having to wait for an appointment, and we’re pleased to offer this option in Fremont in addition to our Convenient Care location in Newaygo. Our goal is to identify and meet our community’s health needs, and access to medical care is at the top of that list. Convenient Care is one of the main ways we can address convenient access to care for patients in Newaygo County and beyond.” Convenient Care Walk-In Clinics are designed to assist existing patients, new patients and visitors, regardless of insurance status and primary care provider. The clinic provides follow-up information back to each patient’s primary care physician if there is one, or offers the opportunity to receive primary care services from Spectrum Health if a patient has no primary physician. The opening of the Fremont clinic marks the fifth Spectrum Health Convenient Care to be implemented, joining locations in Greenville, Ludington, Ionia and Newaygo. The Newaygo Convenient Care clinic is located at 211 West Pine Lake Drive in Newaygo, and is open Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Perez said the Fremont and Newaygo walk-in clinics will improve access in three significant ways:
The Fremont clinic phone number is 231.924.1800. The Newaygo clinic phone number is 231.652.1631. Farm Worker Appreciation Day draws hundreds
By Ken DeLaat It was a day filled with celebration, appreciation and family fun. A community picnic of sorts but more than merely a gathering to commune over food and conversation. This was the event of the summer for the hundreds of farm workers who ensure the agricultural wheels keep rolling in our area. They came in droves to the grounds of Grant Middle School to take part in the annual Farm Worker Appreciation Day. A day set aside to celebrate those who populate our area farms for up to half of the year or more. The migrant workers who provide a vital service to the region’s vast agricultural industry. Attending the doings on Sunday July 30th at the invitation of organizer Mary Rangel, we experienced an outstanding afternoon watching folks having a great time under glorious skies. A community of people bonded... It takes a village
Story and photos by Tracy Maike Kehr The Dogwood’s Summer Youth Theater performed Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream July 28 and 30 to a packed house. What a dreamy (and free) performance it was. With over 44 actors, stage hands, choreographers, costumer, makeup assistant, construction manager, director and assistant director, it definitely took a village to run this production. Beginning in early June this team dedicated their days to getting to rehearsal on time, four days a week for two plus hours a day. The actors are from all over the county and one even driving here from Lansing to be a part of this production. The director, Chelsea Webb is a resident of Newaygo and calls the Dogwood her second home. “This was my 13th year directing. I started by acting in two SYT (Summer Youth Theater) shows and when the original director got busy with college after 2 years, I offered to take over. The rest is history. It's definitely a labor of love as it takes a lot of time to produce. "In addition to practices most nights, I usually come in 2-3 hours before the kids and spend many weekends at Dogwood. This year the backdrop itself took near 30 hours and the rest of the set pieces take anywhere from 5-20 hours each to build and paint. In total, it's probably 100’s of hours, but I've never sat down and counted exactly how many. It's why I call Dogwood my second home. I practically live there in the summer” Not only does Chelsea work hard, but she enlists her entire family. “My mom assists with directing, my dad in set building, my sister helps with tech, sets, and anything else I ask of her. Two of my brothers act in it. My third brother video tapes the performances so we can give the kids copies of the show. This year my niece and nephew both acted in the show.” Chelsea said that if I she had to pick just one thing that keeps her coming back every year, she’d have to say it's the kids. “The kids are amazing to work with and always keep things interesting. We created a safe place for them to come, act, and get to know other kids from around the county. It's important for kids to have a place they can feel safe and with no other theater groups in the summer and school being out, we provide that. Two years ago I was allowed to revive the theater program at Newaygo High School. Now that I'm with White Cloud, I would love to be able to do the same thing. It really depends on how much interest there is, but I would really love the opportunity to work with WC students. "in the immediate future, I will be taking a little time to relax with my daughter before I start preparing for school. I have a new classroom to set up and college classes to prepare for. Beyond that, I plan to continue SYT for years to come.” Parents, students and each person in this production have put their hearts and their time into their individual job in the performance. Whether you drive the actors and pick them up or learning pages and pages of lines the group is strong because of each other. The lessons learned will carry on in their lives and future endeavors. “Theater connects to the importance of reading. A play has the ability to jump a story off the page and bring it to life. This can be a revelation to regular bookworms, but also a real boon to reluctant readers.” says Kim Peter Kovac, President of Theatre For Young Audiences/USA (TYA/USA), a national organization for professional children’s theaters. Maybe next summer your child would like to audition? Time and dates are posted on the Dogwood’s facebook page. Community Foundation Offering Special Fall Mini-Grant Round for Teachers
Fremont Area Community Foundation will award up to $47,000 for innovative classroom projects in a special fall education mini-grant round. The application will be open from August 1 until September 29. Similar to the annual spring mini-grant round, this special, one-time round will allow for one application per teacher and up to $750 per grant. Education mini-grants are available to Newaygo County educators teaching preschool through 12th grade and include private and public schools and state-licensed childhood learning centers and daycares. “We’re pleased to be able to offer a second round this year,” said Carla Roberts, FACF president and CEO. “The Community Foundation has a long history of supporting local educators. Newaygo County teachers are doing outstanding work and we are proud to support their creativity and innovation in the classroom.” Education mini-grants support classroom programs or projects that assist in reaching Goal 2025, the Community Foundation’s initiative to increase educational attainment in Newaygo County. All applications must meet one of the Community Foundation’s education priorities: kindergarten readiness, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math), literacy, remediation, or creating a positive college and career-oriented culture. Applications will also be scored on four essential elements that were designed by Newaygo County teachers. The elements include: real-world skill application, student-centered experiences, sustained outcomes, and inclusion of all stakeholders. Applications are due to the Community Foundation by September 29 and must be submitted through school administration. Educators must follow their school’s internal deadlines for review and approval. Teachers who have already received a mini-grant in 2017 are not eligible to apply again in this round. To find more information, review guidelines, or to apply, please visit facommunityfoundation.org/minigrants. |
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