Brown Bag photos
by Maralyn Fink
I attended the Brown Bag Concert – Minus The Brown Bag – at the Rotary Pavilion on Friday July 22.
The Concert was performed by The Swift Brothers from Lansing. The music featured songs from the 1970s to today. The sound was reminiscent of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen or the Lumineers.
The concerts are scheduled on every Friday through August 26.
There were Brown Bag Specials from the food establishment downtown for purchase.
Safe Center and police agencies meet
Safe Center Executive Director, Hannah, and Legal Advocate, Alyse, had the pleasure of meeting with the Clinton County Police Chiefs, Sheriffs and Prosecuting Attorney recently.
Team SafeCenter is thankful for their partnership with these law enforcement departments. They appreciate all that they do to respond to the needs of victims throughout the county and their preventative efforts to keep community members safe. Thank you for your service.
St. Johns Middle School gets new flooring
Workers are finishing up the brand new flooring project in the hallways of the St. Johns Middle School later this week. This beautiful LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) floor will feel softer underfoot and have better sound-blocking properties than standard vinyl flooring. This new floor should serve the middle school students well for many years to come.
Concert in the Park
by Maralyn Fink
I attended the Concert In The Park Wednesday night at the Performance Shell. The Lions Club food trailer was also there.
A large Crowd was in attendance for the event. It was a beautiful evening for the concert.
The performers were Ryan DeHuts and Marla Moore.
A look back at earlier Mint Festivals
Back in 1985 a very dedicated group of community leaders combined their ideas and hard work to develop the first St. Johns Mint Festival. The committee consisted of Dale Abraham, Diane Edwards, Skip Hughes, Joe Humenik, Joann Martis and Mike Schneider.
For that first festival in 1985 their mission was to salute the mint industry pioneers who settled here in St. Johns and to showcase our community, area businesses and organizations to thousands of people. The first festival was on the 2nd full weekend in August with Friday included, and that tradition continues today.
Former Mint Queens
1936 Mrs. Elouise Harris
1985 Becky Irrer
1986 Cheryl Rademacher
1987 Denise Egres
1988 Janice Rademacher
1989 Elizabeth Baker
1990 Jennifer Brown
1991 Deanna Webb
1992 Natalie Bishop
1993 Carrie Rosekrans
1994 Heather Knight
1995 Kimberly Brock
1996 Kimberly Woodhams
1997 Missy Werbish
1998 Denise Dietrich
1999 Emmie Sanborn
2000 Kelly Thompson
2001 Elizabeth Turner
2002 Melissa Curtis
2003 Jamie Ackerman
2004 Shimea Purchase
2005 Amy Perez
2006 Amanda Davis
2007 Kaitlyn Love
2008 Sabrina Hebeler
2009 Felicia Medina
2010 Megan Ruestman
2011 Paige Burnash
2012 Alexa Ruestman
2013 Alyssa Mee
2014 Cassandra Rapelje
2015 Audrey deAlmeida
2016 Catherine Voisin
2017 Delaney Fedewa
2018 Morgan Leavitt
2019 Olivia Powell
2020 cancelled due to COVID
2021 Lauren Schafer
Former Junior Miss Mints
2005 Megan Ruestman
2006 Kelsey McBride
2007 Ally Turner
2008 Alexa Ruestman
2009 Alyssa Mee
2010 Olivia Bouck
2011 Alissa Longoria
2012 Brittney Thompson
2013 Alyssa Thompson
2014 Madisyn Kotowicz
2015 Becca Bovee
2016 Gabriella Gunnell
2017 Olivia Melton
2018 Lauren Schafer
2019 Sarah Bovee
2021 Katie Rozen
Former Little Miss Mints
1994 Erika McKeachie
1995 Carrie Longoria
1996 Nicole George
1997 Nikki White
1998 Kathleen Thiede
1999 Brianna Harden
2000 Alisha Stephens
2001 Trisha Bellgowan
2002 Emily Havens
2003 Jenna Veith
2004 Kelci Hollis
2005 Alyssa Mee
2006 Avery Guild
2007 Sarah Ward
2008 Cassie Rapelje
2009 Brooke Bauer
2010 Aariyanna Koernke
2011 Madisyn Kotowicz
2012 Shelby Heinlen
2013 Audrey Rademacher
2014 Gabriella Gunnell
2015 Katie Rozen
2016 Alexia Munger
2017 Mya Robertson
2018 Dianna Manas
2019 Savannah Beverly Ann Butler
2021 MacKenzie Colley
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – How to Convert Dog Years to Human Years
Is one human year equal to seven “dog years” when it comes to a dog’s age? Recent studies have shown that this isn’t exactly true.
We all want our dogs to live forever, and we want to know how our dog’s age relates to human years. So what are dog years, and how do you calculate dog years in human terms?
Here’s everything you need to know to convert dog years to human years—and to understand the science behind it.
What Are Dog Years? Does One Dog Year Equal Seven Human Years?
Multiplying your dog’s age by seven may be easy to do, but it won’t accurately convert dog years to human years.
That’s because dogs mature more quickly than humans do in their early years. In fact, the first year of a dog’s life is equivalent to the first 12-15 of a human’s! The second year of a dog’s life equals about 9-10 human years, while each year after that is worth about 4-5 human years.
So 1 year in dog years could equal anywhere from 4 to 15 human years, depending on which life stage your dog is in, as well as their size.
Additionally, smaller breeds tend to have longer life spans than larger breeds. Smaller dogs are usually considered senior at the age of 7, while large breed dogs might be considered seniors at ages 5 or 6.
How to Calculate Your Dog’s Age in Human Years
Use this chart to convert dog years to human years.
Dog Life Stages: When Is a Dog Considered a Puppy, Adult, or Senior?
Is your dog still a puppy? When is a dog considered an adult? What’s the age range for older dogs to be considered seniors? This chart gives you a basic idea of what life stage your dog is in. Please note that these are not exact guidelines.
Why Do Small Breed Dogs Live Longer Than Large Breed Dogs?
The reasons why small dogs have longer life spans than larger breed dogs aren’t completely understood. In fact, throughout the rest of the animal kingdom, the opposite tends to be true—larger animals usually outlive smaller ones.
But veterinarians see larger breeds age at a faster rate, and they tend to see age-related diseases at a younger age in larger breeds than in small dogs.
Research from the University of Gottingen in Germany shows that every increase in 4.4 pounds reduces life expectancy by approximately one month. Lead researcher of this study, Cornelia Kraus, speculates that because larger breeds age faster and grow more quickly, the abnormal cell growth found in cancers is more likely to occur.
Other researchers have theorized that because large breed dogs age faster, they also develop age-related diseases earlier in their lives. Another theory is that small dogs might tend to be “pampered”—carried around in purses or kept inside, for example—while large dogs tend to lead a more active lifestyle, doing things like hiking, boating, and running. That more active lifestyle comes with risks, which could lead to an earlier mortality.
Why Do Dogs Age So Fast Compared to Humans?
The Dog Aging Project has launched an ongoing, long-term initiative to study the biological and environmental factors that maximize dog health and longevity.
The goal is to understand how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence a dog’s aging process. You can even nominate your dog to be a part of the Dog Aging Project by visiting their website at https://dogagingproject.org
Remember, yearly visits to your veterinarian can help prevent, detect, or slow age-related diseases, potentially helping your pet to live longer.