11-07-2019 Letters and Commentary

Correction

In the October 31, 2019 issue of Tri-City Record, an error was made on Page 3 in both stories mentioning the City of Hartford election. They should both read that the election is on Tuesday, November 5 not on November 6. Tri-City Record is sorry for any inconvenience or confusion this error may have caused.

Win a Thanksgiving turkey!

Tri-City Record’s annual Thanksgiving Turkey drawing contest will be starting soon. To enter all the drawings from local business sponsors fill in the turkeys that will be printed in the Nov. 14 & 21 issues with your name, address, and phone number. Cut the turkey entries from the paper and drop them off at the participating businesses (one entry per visit, please). The winning entries will be drawn Monday, November 25, 2019 at 12:00 noon. Winners will be contacted by phone by the sponsoring business, and the names of all the winners will be published in that week’s Tri-City Record. Store employees and their families are not eligible to win their employer’s prize; however, they may win a turkey from another business. Please drop off your own entry in each store! You must be at least 18 years old and you do not need to be a subscriber to enter! A winner can only win one turkey per year. For a free copy of the entry form page, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Tri-City Record, Box 7, Watervliet MI 49098, or stop by the office at 138 N. Main St., Watervliet.

International Education Week to be celebrated at Lake Michigan College

Lake Michigan College will host a series of public and student events on its Benton Harbor campus in honor of International Education Week, November 18-22. International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. It is celebrated annually across the nation to acknowledge the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. LMC will host a free, public Lunch and Learn event on Thursday, Nov. 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in the Todd Center, rooms 1304 -1308. Guest speakers, Asu Iyakaremye and Imran Mohammad will speak about their experiences as refugees, followed by a question and answer session. LMC will provide international coffee and chocolates made by LMC culinary professor and chocolatier, Chef Luis Amado. Guests should bring their own lunch. Twenty-five-year-old, Imran Mohammad, was born stateless in Rohingya. At age 16, he fled Myanmar to save his life and search for freedom. He ended up in a Papua New Guinea detention center on Manus Island for four years where he taught himself to read and write in English before arriving in Chicago in 2018. His story has been featured in the New York Times and ABC’s “Foreign Correspondent” series. Asu Iyakaremye was just three-years-old when he and his parents escaped the 1994 Rwandan genocide. They eventually landed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Iyakaremye attended college and now works at Bethany Christian Services helping unaccompanied refugee children. Both men are making the most of their new lives in the U.S. as they work through the trauma they experienced on their journeys. They share their stories to bring hope and understanding to others. Other International Education Week events include “Listen to Our Stories – Beyond the Borders” on Monday, Nov. 18, noon – 2 p.m. in the Hawk’s Nest second floor. Guests can view poster displays and picture collages, and hear student-led presentations and audio stories. Trivia Tuesday will be on Tuesday, Nov. 19, noon – 1 p.m. in the Hawk’s Nest second floor. Student teams will compete in a Jeopardy-style game to test their knowledge of international facts. International Celebration Day will be held Wednesday, Nov. 20 with a parade beginning at 11 a.m. at the Welch Center, a program at noon in the Main Building, and a celebration at 12:30 p.m. in the Hawk’s Nest, second floor.

Michigan stores do their part to protect youth from dangers of tobacco

Retailers meet federal requirements 19 years in a row

In statewide inspections, 89.5 percent of retailers refused to sell tobacco to minors under age 18, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Office of Recovery Oriented Systems of Care announced recently. Throughout the summer, MDHHS conducted random unannounced inspections statewide to measure the rate of illegal sales of tobacco to Michigan youth. A total of 356 retailers were visited; of those 319 refused to sell tobacco to a minor. “Deterring tobacco sales to youth is critical to reducing the negative health effects and deaths caused by smoking and tobacco use,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health for MDHHS. “We commend the business community for doing their part to protect Michigan youth from the dangers of smoking and thank our partners for conducting high quality inspections.” The Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act requires all states and territories to conduct inspections using a scientific random sample study protocol approved by the federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. States must demonstrate their tobacco vendor compliance rate meets or exceeds the federal minimum of 80 percent through random, unannounced inspections of tobacco retailers. This includes youth inspectors visiting retailers, attempting to make tobacco purchases and recording the results. Adult chaperones drive the youth inspectors and oversee the purchase attempts. States that fall below the 80 percent minimum compliance rate are subject to a penalty of 40 percent of their federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funding. For Michigan, this could mean more than $22 million. States are also required to enact and enforce laws prohibiting the sale or distribution of tobacco products to individuals under age 18. With the popularity of electronic nicotine devices, Michigan is strengthening tobacco education and awareness through a resource website called “Do Your Part,” designed to educate the general public and teens about the dangers of smoking. Additionally, MDHHS is continuing outreach by providing educational materials to vendors that sell tobacco products. Businesses that want to educate staff, avoid fines and safeguard public health can access a free online presentation and certification test at Improvingmipractices.org.

Statewide leaders issue warning to residents on local health department phone scams

After a recent uptick in phone scams targeting residents, Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon and Michigan Association for Local Public Health Executive Director Meghan Swain are warning Michiganders about scammers posing as public health officials to steal personal information. Several health departments have received reports from residents about calls from individuals seeking personal information that could be used to steal someone’s identity. “Scammers use every tool they have to take advantage of anyone they can,” Nessel said. “It is important residents remember they should never give personal and confidential information to unsolicited callers. Simply hang up and report the call to our office.” The callers claim to be from a local health department and appear to be calling from health department phone numbers, a practice that is commonly known as spoofing. Anyone who receives one of those calls should hang up immediately. No one should give out personal information to an unsolicited caller. “Local public health and Medicaid officials will never call you to request account information, Social Security numbers or passwords,” said Gordon. “Remain diligent about protecting your personal information and end the call immediately if you get this kind of inquiry over the phone.” “We are concerned that spoofers are using a trusted community entity like the local health department to obtain personal information on residents for possible illegal activity,” Swain said. “Local health departments are aware of the issue and want to ensure the public that we would not ask for personal information over the phone. If there is a concern by an individual who has been spoofed, we encourage them to contact the local health department immediately to notify them of spoofing and to confirm if the department is attempting to contact them.” Those who wish to make a report about these calls can do so by contacting the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. A complaint can be filed online at mi.gov/agcomplaints or by calling 877-765-8388.

LARA Director and State Fire Marshal urge safety precautions following an increase in fire deaths statewide

As of November 5, 2019, a total of 86 people have lost their lives this year across the state as the result of a fire in their homes. In the month of October alone, fatal home fires claimed the lives of seven children and ten adults statewide. In response to these recent fire tragedies, State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer is urging Michiganders to spend time this weekend developing and practicing a fire escape plan with their families. “It is so important to teach kids what to do if a fire occurs,” Sehlmeyer said. “The last thing we want is for children to hide, thinking that will keep them safe. It is vitally important that we teach our families what to do if the smoke alarms go off and practice how to escape if there is a fire in your home. A family fire escape plan is essential.” The Bureau of Fire Services (BFS) has created a document for Michiganders to review, download, and print to help them develop their fire escape plan. Once the plan is established, it is important that families practice it often since, on average, they will have less than three minutes to escape a home fire due to the toxic gasses, smoke, and lack of oxygen. “It is tragic and devastating when we lose even one person to a fire,” said Orlene Hawks, Director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), where BFS is housed. “These are our kids, our aunts, our uncles, our parents, our friends. We all need to realize that this can happen to us. If you see smoke, don’t investigate – don’t even fight the fire – just escape.” Working smoke alarms provide an early warning of a fire. There needs to be a smoke alarm on every level of every home, including the basement and a smoke alarm in every bedroom or sleeping area. Michiganders are reminded to change the batteries annually if they have 9-volt smoke alarms. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 71 percent of smoke alarm failures are a result of missing, disconnected, or dead batteries. Never remove or disconnect batteries from alarms unless you are putting a new battery in the smoke alarm. Check every smoke alarm monthly to ensure they are working. If you hear a chirp noise coming from a smoke alarm, it is most likely a warning of a low battery. Three of every five residential fire deaths in the United States occur in homes where smoke alarms have the batteries removed, the batteries are dead, or there are simply no smoke alarms present.

Pathfinder of the seas

It is said that “knowledge is power”, but it could be added that “wisdom is dynamic”. Wisdom organizes knowledge and applies knowledge to life. That is what Matthew Fontaine Maury did. He became known as the “Father of Modern Oceanography” and “Scientist of the Seas”. In a Wikipedia article titled with his name we learn that Maury’s knowledge base expanded at age 19 when he was given a commission in the U.S. Navy. But Matthew’s wisdom was something he brought to the table from much earlier in his life. Back when his Tennessee family would daily read from the Bible, especially from the Psalms, he became very familiar with many of the passages. He later would be reminded of one in particular, Psalm 8:8. It would become the seed of great scientific advancement – the discovery of the “paths of the seas”. We see Maury, not a critic of the Bible, but rather a learner from the Bible. He came to the Bible not to argue, but to understand, to allow God’s Word to germinate and grow into the full revelation it is meant to be. Psalm 8:8 reads, “…the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” (KJV) The story goes that while he was recovering from a stagecoach accident, he asked his daughter to read to him from the Psalter. She read Psalm 8, and when she came to verse 8, the phrase “the paths of the seas” especially caught his attention. He there decided to find those pathways. His study of information from thousands of archival ships’ logs, with his understanding of meteorology, geology, and oceanography, lead to many useful developments for which he is honored today. In Richmond, Virginia, a monument in his honor, with an open Bible on his lap, is engraved, “MAURY – PATHFINDER OF THE SEAS”

Social Security helps veterans and active duty military members

Every year on Veterans Day, our nation honors the people who risk their lives to protect our country. Social Security’s disability program is an important part of our obligation to wounded warriors and their families. For military members who return home with injuries, Social Security is a resource they can turn to. If you know any wounded veterans, please let them know about Social Security’s Wounded Warriors website. You can find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/ woundedwarriors. The Wounded Warriors website answers many commonly asked questions, and shares other useful information about disability benefits, including how veterans can receive expedited processing of disability claims. Benefits available through Social Security are different than those from the Department of Veterans Affairs and require a separate application. The expedited process is used for military service members who become disabled while on active military service on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs. Even active duty military who continue to receive pay while in a hospital or on medical leave should consider applying for disability benefits if they’re unable to work due to a disabling condition. Active duty status and receipt of military pay doesn’t necessarily prevent payment of Social Security disability benefits. Although a person can’t receive Social Security disability benefits while engaging in substantial work for pay or profit, receipt of military payments should never stop someone from applying for disability benefits from Social Security. Social Security honors veterans and active duty members of the military every day by giving them the respect they deserve. Let these heroes know they can count on us when they need to take advantage of their earned benefits. Our web pages are easy to share on social media and by email with your friends and family. Vonda VanTil is the Public Affairs Specialist for West Michigan. You can write her c/o Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 or via email at vonda.vantil@ssa.gov.

VETERANS DAY… Monday, November 11 is the day we Americans salute the men and women who have served in our armed forces. In war and in peace they stand as the defenders of our freedoms and our country. Most communities will have some sort of service to acknowledge the sacrifice and service of their veterans. Please attend, stand, and thank them for their service. See the article on the front page for listings of local Veterans Day services and events. And to all the veterans that will read this, thank you for your service.

HALLOWEEN could’ve been worse… we could have had snow! Halloween just comes at a bad time, the end of October. There is just a lot of indecision; some of the leaves have fallen, others have not. The lakes are cooling, but a couple warm days stimulate boating and fishing activity. The roses are in their last gasp, when a sunny day tricks the buds to turn towards the heat. Halloween is one of those holidays that the grownups perpetuate and the kids love. For the other 364 days of the year candy is a no-no… on Halloween, kids are costumed up and sent out begging for candy. Play in the dark on Halloween, but be in when the street lights come on the rest of the year. For all the cold, wet, windy weather this year, there was still a good representation of youngsters at the local events. The numbers were down, but those that braved the elements were enthusiastic. The left-over candy here at the Record went to a good cause. We took it over to granddaughter Karli’s in Hartford. When the start siren went off at 6 p.m., there were kids already in place ready for the begging to begin. Even though the misty, cold rain dampened the begging, it didn’t wash it out. For me the best Halloween is seeing all the little ones in costume with their parents, having a good time, rain or shine.