Today is Wednesday, January 28th, 2016. I’m Kevin Boyle in for Greg Doig with today’s WVBI Community Calendar.
NEWS
The top (and best news this morning) is the reason I’m in for Greg. He’s off the island on new grandpa duty, which has got to be one of the best reasons to need to be across. I’ll leave the details for Greg to talk about when he gets back–but he has a healthy grandson named Lucas. Your stuck with me until Grandpa Greg gets back from seeing his new grandbaby and family–which will probably be on Monday.
In news here on the island….
Following the community meeting last week at the Community Center with Shirley Gillespie, Executive Director of the Charlevoix County Commission on Aging, our in-home caregiver has been reduced to part time status and the arthritis exercise classes have been cut from 3 times a week to 1 time a week. Pam Grassmick reports that Beaver Island was given one month (about 3 weeks remaining) to increase the demand for in-home services or COA in-home services may be cut totally. The only way to increase demand is to let those over 60 in our community know that COA in-home services are just a phone call away. Islanders are an independent lot and “aging in place” has largely been dependent upon assistance from relatives and close friends. But our demographics have changed. Our island population is older-10 years older on average than most of Charlevoix County, with roughly 31% over the age of 70. And many folks on the island no longer have children living on the island that can assist in our care to “age in place”. But, all of us pay taxes to ensure that elder-care in-home services are available throughout Charlevoix County through the Commission on Aging. When COA’s caregiver was first introduced to the island’s elders (and I mean my parents), we had the difficult discussion with them of how to help them stay independent within their home. We told them COA services would help them remain safely in their own home. “Give it a two week trial”. Well, COA’s caregiver wiggled her way into their hearts and allowed them to receive COA services and care at home. Many studies have shown that the ability to remain in one’s home significantly increases longevity and quality of life. Due to the amount of tax funding sent from each island property owner, we are equally due services to allow our elders to safely remain on Beaver Island. The cost of COA services is based on a sliding-scale determined by income, and is a great “deal” as the taxes collected offset the cost of in-home services. Most island elders don’t need full-time services. Some of the services COA provides deals with assistance for daily tasks such as light housekeeping, laundry, medication reminders, providing nutritional meals, and personal care. So, just what is needed from each person over 60 to prevent the losing of our hard-fought COA services? No one wants to admit that we need help, but if we don’t utilize COA services, they may no longer be available to anyone on the island, including our friends, relatives, and neighbors. Individuals require different amounts of help. Help keeps COA services for Beaver Island. If you feel that you could use some help-or know of someone over 60 who could-and would like to check on potential services available from COA, it is as easy as a phone call. Please contact Ann Partridge, Charlevoix County Commission on Aging, Beaver Island Site Coordinator: 448-2022 or Shirley Gillespie, Executive Director of Charlevoix County Commission on Aging: 231-237-0103 or 866-428-5185,or Jean Kinsley, COA Advisory Board Island Representative: 448-2856. On the WVBI website you can find a couple of pertinent articles from the trip Pam and others made with the Maine Island institute related to Maine island experiences with senior services and “aging in place”. Just go to the website and click on the news menu item. Look for the article entitle Current Events Update for January 28th and scroll to the COA story and you’ll find them at the end. http://www.islandinstitute.org/working-waterfront/caring–focus-island-conference http://www.islandinstitute.org/resource/problem-elderly-residents-struggle-age-place
The weather last night not-with-standing, Bob Tidmore at PABI wants everyone to know that the Ice Classic is off for this year. So, better luck next year. In the meantime, hopefully it means we’ll have swimming temperatures in Paradise Bay a little earlier this year.
There are plenty of things going on over at BICS.
- A committee of parents, teachers and others has been hard at work on a new compact that spells out the relationship between the school and its students and parents. We understand the school board is planning to review it and do a “first reading” of it at their next meeting.
- The Islanders basketball teams will be playing Mackinaw island this weekend. The games this weekend are at home. Tipoff time Friday for the girl’s game is 5:30 followed by the boys. They both play again Saturday morning at 8:30. Except for the alumni game, this will be your last chance to see the Islanders at home this season as they head out on the road for their final games before the NLL tournament–so let’s pack the gym with people to support the Islanders.
- Meantime the school’s new robotics team — the B-I-robots — is busy working on the robot they will field in competition beginning March 3. The team is getting help from a number of community volunteers including Adam Anderson, who is helping with the vehicle chassis and other mechanical design, John Robert who is providing shop space, traveled to an off-island build event and who, with help from School Board member Mark Engelsman, is building a mock-up of portions of the field the robot will need to navigate–all with lumber supplied by Ron Wojan and some hardware we plan to wrangle out of Dr. Powers. You can learn more about the team at their website at B-I-Robot dot org — including some neat opportunities to support the team that could get your logo on their robot.
- Next week, one of Mr. Richard’s classes is expecting a special guest with UN experience to discuss world issues with the students to help them prepare for the model UN sessions they will be participating in in mid-March (between robot matches). We’ll have more on that next week and, if possible, we’ll broadcast at least part of the discussion. Calendar NewsIf you are looking for a place to keep up to date on everything happening on the island, we’ve got just the ticket for you. Just mosey on over to the new W-V-B-I website and click on “calendar” on the menu at the top of the page. You’ll get a listing of events ranging from what’s happening tomorrow and on through the spring, summer and fall. Just looking at it will make you feel like summer is just around the corner. It’s colorful and full of details–and it includes all events on which we have details.If you’d like to get your event on the calendar you can either use the orange “post your event” button at the upper right of the calendar or sending an email to us at calendar-at-W-V-B-I dot net. And here’s a neat feature: organizations that post their events on the calendar can easily post the information on their events on there own website with some easy code we will provide. So, put your event on the WVBI site for all to see (and to get it mentioned in our current events updates)–and you’ll have it on your own site all in one step. Easy-peasy. If you are interested and need more information, just send an email to me at kevin dot boyle at wvbi dot net, and we’ll be in touch.And speaking of calendars, our friends over at the Chamber of Commerce have put together a neat printable calendar that includes key upcoming events. So if you are looking for something for your bulletin board, head over to chamber site and grab that. By the way, we thank the chamber for letting them include all of those events on the WVBI calendar. And now that you have so many calendars–how about getting a pen, pencil or crayon to mark this date.Ready? February 26th is the date to mark. Why? It’s the date for the 2nd Annual Alumni Basketball Tournament and Chili/Soup Cook Off If you would like to join a team or sign up to enter your most awesome Chili or Soup call Carol @ 231-838-2883 This event is sponsored by the Beaver Island Sports Boosters with a goal to purchase BICS athletes new Soccer uniforms, an outdoor timer for the Soccer games, Platform for our Volleyball Refs, and new mats for the gym. All donations will go directly to these items for our Beaver Island Community School Sports Program. And, it’s your last chance to see this year’s basketball teams play on their home court. At the Community Center… The FIRST NEW CLASS is coming up this Friday, January 29! Instructors are required to be certified, ensuring the safety of participants. They are also educated as to the precautions necessary for certain conditions, such as surgeries, injuries and Rheumatoid Arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program is the longest-running Health and Wellness Program supported by the COA on Beaver Island, celebrating almost seven years of year-round sessions! If you need some physical activity to keep your joints moving and flexible, please give this a try and help us maintain the availability of this valuable program. If you are interested in attending but would like–or need–to use the Charlevoix County Transit bus in order to do so, please contact Ann at 448-2022. Ann says she can look at changing the time of the class to coincide with the Transit schedule in order to keep this valuable program active on Beaver Island. Also at the community center, here’s the scoop on the movies this weekend:3 PM MATINEEPG | 103 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy | 16 October 2015 (USA)A teenager teams up with the daughter of young adult horror author R. L. Stine after the writer’s imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.Stars: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush |7 PM MAIN FEATURE****LADIES NIGHT?R | 135 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 14 November 2003 (USA)Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.Writer:Stars: Thanks to Beaver Island Community Center Business Sponsors , the Shamrock Bar and Restaurant, and the Beaver Island Boat Company
- WEATHER
- Over at the BIRHC, they have Dr. Meghan Costello, Chiropractor in for appointments on Saturday, Jan. 30. Yao can call her at 805-258-8582 to set up an appointment. And, a little birdie told me that the folks at the B-I-R-H-C are working on a new health information show for W-V-B-I–sort of like our Tech Tip show–but about living healthy here on the island. So be on the lookout for that here on WVBI.
- BIRHC
- The Wildlife Club is gearing up for a Turkey survey beginning February 1st to the 7th. The Club needs folks who have turkeys about to make a count that week and let them know how many birds you see regularly. Also any stray flocks not regularly seen, should be counted as well. Report all numbers and locations to Jacque at jacquel@tds.net. By the way, we’re pretty sure they aren’t talking about radio turkeys, so don’t be showing up outside the WVBI studio and start counting us.
- Wildlife News
- Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson |Alan Rickman| Colin Firth
- Richard Curtis
- 7.7
- Love Actually
- Writers: Darren Lemke (screenplay), Scott Alexander(story), 2 more credits »
- 6.5
- Goosebumps (2015)
- _________________
- As we mentioned earlier, as a result of COA cuts, the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program will now be available on FRIDAYS ONLY, 11am-12pm @ BI Comm Center effective the week of January 25;
- Games Galore will now be held on Thursday’s at 1pm to 4pm
- _________________
Current Conditions – Greene’s Bay Beach, Beaver Island, MI
As of 6:59 AM Thursday, January 28, 2016
Forecast: Mostly Cloudy, Rain within 12 hours
Outside Temp: 34.1 F
High Outside Temp: 37.4 F at 5:11 AM
Low Outside Temp: 34.1 F at 6:56 AM
Outside Humidity: 89%
Inside Temp: 72.6 F
Inside Humidity: 27%
Heat Index: 34.0 F
Wind Chill: 26.0 F
Dew Point: 31.0 F
Barometer: 29.411″ and Steady
Wind Speed: 10.0 Mph
Wind Direction: W
High Gust: 28.0 Mph at 5:03 AM
10 min Avg Wind: 5.0 Mph
Rain Rate: 0.00″/Hour
Day Rain: 0.27″
Storm Rain: 0.27″
Month Rain: 0.59″
Year Rain: 21.55″
From Phyllis:
It’s 33° with a windchill of 23°, wind is from the west at 15 mph with gusts to 38 mph, humidity is at 89.8%, pressure is at 29.37, sunrise will be at 8:08 am and sunset will be at 5:42 p.m. Today: Blowing snow in the morning. Snow, rain, and areas of freezing drizzle in the morning. Snow showers likely in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 30s. West winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Snow showers likely in the evening, then a chance of snow showers after midnight. Lows around 13°. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.
On this date of January 28, 1956 – Elvis Presley made his first appearance on national television on “The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show” on CBS.
Did you know that During the war of 1812, Detroit was hotly-contested territory? It was surrendered to the British in 1812, but the first attempt to retake the city in 1813 resulted in the River Raisin Massacre, which had the highest number of American casualties of any battle of the war. Detroit was finally recovered some nine months later during the Battle of Lake Erie.
Word of the day: insouciant (in-SOO-see-uh nt) which means free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant. Insouciant entered English from French, based on the French verb soucier meaning “to worry.” Ultimately it finds its roots in the Latin sollicitāre meaning “to disturb.”
Birthdays
See chart…
Condolences
None
Community Needs and Wishes
We have word from the forum that, Barry Pischner, could use your prayers and good thoughts as he deals with liver cancer. Barry is a great member of the island community and one of the island artists that is part of our cottage music mix–so please join us in keeping him in your thoughts and prayers.
And we need to do the same for Kathy Speck, another pillar of the island community, as she recovers from surgery and come home. You can help Kathy with her medical costs by using the go fund me link Phylis Moore has posted on the forum. Just got to the forum and search healing fund to find it.
https://www.gofundme.com/8zkdv7es?rcid=b72d80a2af1749f8ade521e581b8649f
Cleaning out your pantry before fall or heading home after your vacation here? Remember that you can donate unopened non-perishable items to the Food Pantry to help families here on the Island. Drop boxes are at the Community Center, the Beaver Island Rural Health Center, Holy Cross Church, Fresh Air and the Beaver Island Christian Church. Monetary donations are always needed and can be made payable to the Beaver Island Christian Church, attention FoodPantry, PO Box 21. Or, thanks to Joe Moore, a PayPal/credit card donation link is available on the Beaver Island News on the Net website home page, lower left corner, at beaverislandnews.com.
Thank you for your help, the Food Pantry Committee, Judi Meister, Beth Croswhite, Mark LaFreniere and Deb Plastrik
Submitted by Deb Plastrik
Roads
With all the snow last night, they are slick and there is lots of snow blowing about — so as Greg says, let’s be careful out there. Especially in the school zone.
Outro
Our thought for today is about kids. Ever since I became a dad, I’ve always told other uys who are about to become first time dads that there is nothing on earth better than being a dad. But now that Greg is a grandad–I’m wondering if maybe that’s the best thing on earth.
That’s the WVBI Community Calendar for Thursday 28th. I’m Kevin Boyle at WVBI – the Voice of Beaver Island.
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