It’s been a hard weather week in St. Johns
by Maralyn Fink
Life in St. Johns has been bitterly cold as it has been in most of Michigan. At this writing it is balmy -2, but I braved the cold to snap a few pictures. There’s been mo school here all week so far.
The odd thing is that they say by Sunday it will be 45 degrees with rain . . . go figure.
A winter storm paralyzed all of Michigan Monday, with heavy snow, strong winds, whiteout conditions at times and bitter cold wind chills.
Most schools across the state were closed and were eventually joined by early closures of state and local governmental offices, banking institutions, businesses, doctor’s offices and others.
Even some non-essential services at hospitals were cancelled. There were also reports of downed trees and scattered power outages. Some police agencies were urging motorists to stay off the roads.
On Monday morning the Bath Township Police Department posted to Facebook
“Dear Humans, we know you’re going to go crash into every ditch or median you see today. This no longer surprises us.
“That being said, we haven’t lost all hope on being surprised by you yet. Surprise us once and for all by bringing your pets inside this week. If not, we’re handcuffing you to a tree outside in shorts and a T-Shirt.”
Oh, and then Michigan State Police Emergency Operations Center sent out an emergency message at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Consumers Energy had to ask everyone to turn down their thermostats because of a fire in Ray Natural Gas Compressor station. General Motors closed their operations to help with that latest emergency.
Now we’ll get the umbrellas out for this weekend.
Do you like chocolates?
The Clinton County Senior Center will host its Annual Chocolate Fantasy on Thursday, February 7 from 6-8 p.m. at 201 E Walker Street in St. Johns. More than 25 chocolate creations will be on hand for sampling. The tickets are $10 each and available from Board members, at the Senior Center and at the Chamber of Commerce (1013 S US 27 in St. Johns). Call Brenda at 989-224-7248 with any questions.
Agency celebrates and honors 5 years of service
courtesy of Kelly Schafer
Over five years ago conversations began to serve and support children who are in foster care through a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Program. Five years ago, I could not have anticipated the incredible journey and generous support which has grown our programs.
Fast forward to 2019, we are a nonprofit agency serving as the county’s Child Advocacy Center (CAC) and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Programs; and we have a permanent home for our services.
No matter all of the planning and care that has went in to our services for abused and neglected children, there have been countless moments which could not be planned or anticipated. I’d like to share just a few of these moments and lessons with you.
One young lady who while visiting our office was looking around at all the beautiful murals, the very large teddy bear, available snacks, and questioned if I have a job. While at court hearings for our CASA kiddos, the good feelings that happen when families are able to go home together. On the other side of foster care, we know terminating parental rights is sometimes necessary but it is still hard; families are not supposed to be broken in that way.
– The endless kindness and generosity of our community supporters who always want to know how they can help.
– The sweet young person who pointed out to me the dollhouse in our Family Rooms does not have enough chairs for all the dollhouse people (it does now).
– The joy and happy tears that occur on Adoption Days.
– All of the amazing Superheroes who gather every April for our annual 5K to support our work.
– The big, beautiful eyes of the little one who was at our office for a Forensic Interview after being abused, kept playing peek a boo with me while caregivers privately spoke to law enforcement, hugged me when they left, and thanked me for letting them come to our office.
– The level of commitment and support from our agency volunteers and staff are endless; their support and hearts are evident in our work.
In 2019 we pause to celebrate and honor our first five years. We hope you will join us in opportunities to learn about our programs for abused and neglected children.
We invite you to schedule a Tour of Hope-a tour to see our beautiful, child-friendly office you so generously support. To learn more or schedule a Tour of Hope, please visit our website VoiceForClintonCountyChildren.org, call 989-640-5681 or email KellySchaferED@gmail.com.
Thank you for your outstanding care and support during our first five years. Together, with you, we will continue to provide supportive services to Clinton County Children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
Chronic Pain workshop coming up
Chronic Pain PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) is a 6-week workshop designed for people with chronic pain. Sessions will be held at Redeemer United Methodist Church, 13980 Schavey Rd.
Dewitt, MI on Tuesdays, April 9 – May 14, 2019 from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
In this interactive workshop, people are taught effective tools to better self-manage their condition and its impact on their life.
Managing chronic pain is more than taking medications. We address a variety of topics including fatigue management, dealing with difficult emotions, and pacing and planning.
This includes the Moving Easy Program: safe exercises to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance. Caregivers and significant others are also welcome to sign up and attend as active participants. The workshop is free of charge, but pre-registration is required.
Register with Tri-County Office on Aging at 517-887-1465. (Priority is given to those 50+ but all are welcome to call. Funding is provided by Michigan State Medical Society.
Loomis Brothers jamboree is Sunday, February 3
The Eureka Church will be hosting a jamboree with the Loomis Brothers on February 3rd, 2019 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Bring your family and friends and enjoy an evening of gospel music.
Eureka Church is located at 2619 E. Maple Rapids Road, Eureka.
Mint Country Garden Club Meeting
The monthly meeting of Mint Country Garden Club will be held Thursday, February 7 at 7:15 p.m.
The program will be a demonstration on Fruit Carving.
Meetings are held at Clinton Commons Community Center, 1105 S. Scott Rd, St. Johns. Visitors are welcome to attend.
For further information about this meeting or how to become a member, email mintcountrygardenclub@gmail.com or send a message through the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mintcountrygc.