12-27-2018 Watervliet resident Janet King receives communicator award from Toastmasters club;

Watervliet resident Janet King receives communicator award from Toastmasters club

Janet King of Watervliet received her Competent Communicator Award from the Whirlpool Toastmasters Club in November, an honor recognizing her for completing her Competent Communicator manual. The manual provides a series of varied speeches that focus on different aspects of speechmaking, including organizing a speech effectively, using vocal variety, and inspiring an audience.

King said that she views the award as just a step in a communications skills improvement process. “You have to be self-motivated and have a vested interest in self-improvement to complete your achievement goals in Toastmasters,” Janet said. “Competent Communicator is just the first step. I am proud of what I have accomplished and how I have improved my communication skills. I also know you are never done improving and there is more to learn.” King is from the Coloma/ Watervliet area, where she has lived her entire life. Janet’s parents are originally from the Riverside and Watervliet communities. She was raised in Coloma and graduated from Coloma High School in 1982. She has lived in Watervliet since 1985, after joining the Watervliet Fire/ Ambulance department as an EMT. Janet served as a volunteer firefighter with the department from 1987 until 1995. Janet is married to Clinton King, whom she met when they both served in the fire department. They are parents to Sadie, a border collie/ collie mix adopted from a collie rescue group. She works at Whirlpool Corporation as a Master Technician-Lab Operations for KitchenAid Small Domestic Appliances. She became a Toastmasters member after seeing a Herald-Palladium announcement about a speech craft workshop. “In early 2017, I saw an announcement in the Herald-Palladium for a six-week speech craft workshop, open to the public and sponsored by the Twin City Toastmasters Club,” Janet said. “I came away from that workshop with real communication, listening and leadership skills I could apply in my current job role, future roles and my personal life.” King said her Toastmasters experience is helping her to continuously improve in a number of areas. “I joined because I wanted to learn how to express myself, effectively and with confidence, both in the workplace and in my personal life,” she said. “The environment at Toastmasters is safe and supportive for learning and improving. At Toastmasters, you do not just learn how to organize, write and deliver a speech. You learn time management and presentation skills. You get real practice mentoring and motivating others and learn how to give and receive constructive feedback.” In Janet’s leisure time, she enjoys fishing from her kayak, watching football, observing nature (especially birds) and photography. She said these hobbies have been the inspiration for many of her speeches. The next meeting for Whirlpool Toastmasters is on December 19, 2018 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at Whirlpool’s Riverview Campus. Guests are always welcome. Please contact Scott at scott_j_dorfman@whirlpool.com or 269-923-6984 for more information.

Admave residence wins Watervliet’s Best Lighted House Contest for 2018

By Kristy Noack Although there’s a distinct absence of snow for the Christmas holiday, spirits remain bright throughout Watervliet, courtesy of the 2018 Watervliet’s Best Lighted House Contest. Organized by Katie Muth, the contest opened December 2 and ran through December 15. Residents of the city and township of Watervliet were encouraged to decorate the exterior of their

home for the holiday season, as the contest ran in conjunction with the Home Town Christmas celebration held earlier this month. Muth organized the activity through Facebook. Residents were able to post photos or videos of the exterior of their decorated home. Each “like” and “share” of the post garnered the participant a vote. People who entered were encouraged to utilize social media to increase the number of votes their submission received.

Tina Kibler Admave’s residence at 716 Richard Avenue won first place with 252 votes. She received $100 cash from State Farm Insurance agent Karla Smothers. The home, trees, light post, and fence featured lights, while a Santa stood guard in the yard. Second place went to Sarah Elizabeth’s “Grinch” entry; she collected 176 votes and a $50 gift certificate to B&B Grocery. Jenny Duncan-Arend was the third place winner with 81 votes. Her home included an inflatable Santa, trees and a star of lights, as well as a Christmas countdown. She won $20 cash from Moo’s Place. Renell Rogalski Watkins won a $20 gift certificate to Some Thing Different; she received 80 votes. Her yard included Santa, a snowman, lighted trees of all shapes and sizes, and reind

Bones in Balance classes helps  individuals with osteoporosis Lakeland Orthopedic Physical Therapy is now enrolling participants for Bones in Balance, a four week program designed to teach those diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteopenia how to successfully live with these conditions through self-management. Bones in Balance incorporates education and exercise and is led by specially trained physical therapists. The program includes valuable self-management tips from a pharmacist, registered dietitian, and nurse educator. Classes meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a four-week period at the Center for Outpatient Services, located at 3900 Hollywood Road in St. Joseph. Registration is now open for the next set of classes which will run from January 8 to 31 and be held at 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. or 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. A physician’s order is required to participate. There is a $25 registration fee to cover the cost of materials; the remaining amount is billable to your insurance. For more information or to register, call (269) 556-7150.

Good Grief: Bereavement sharing & education program Good Grief is a free program that covers topics such as how to cope with loss, guilt, and regret; why you feel the way you do; and finding a sense of peace. Each seven-week session meets for one and a half hours of meaningful information and sharing. The sessions take place Tuesdays, January 8 to February 19 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. at Caring Circle, 4025 Health Park Lane in St. Joseph. For more information, and to find out about other ongoing bereavement programs, call Lory’s Place at (269) 983-2707 or (800) 717-3812.

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