Sister City Friendship continues for 24 years
A new display has opened at the Briggs District Library featuring art by elementary students from St. Johns Public Schools, along with art by elementary and middle school students from our Friendship City, Konan, Shiga Prefecture, in Japan.
The art will be on display until Saturday, May 5. Also included are photos of the displays of Japanese artifacts and of the reception that was held on Tuesday, April 9.
Gentner Family Dentistry to hold open house
Dr. Amy Gentner and her team invite you to their open house on Sunday, May 19 from 4 – 8 p.m. They will be welcoming Dr. Weatherwax.
Dr. Amy Gentner say, “Ever since writing a paper in eighth grade about how a dentist is a physician who specializes in the mouth, head, and neck before going to school, I have felt a calling to be a dentist. After graduating as valedictorian from Lapeer West High School in 1992, I went to Albion College. In 1996 I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology- Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Mortar Board, and Sigma Xi with Albion College Honors including Thesis. After school in high school and on breaks through college, I also worked as a dental assistant and lab tech in several offices in my hometown, confirming my interest in the field.
“I then attended the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. During my time there, I earned the Delta Dental Scholarship, the Hubert Phillips Scholarship, the Lucille Conger Alumnae Group Scholarship for business women, and the James Rachor, DDS Scholarship. I was employed by the school to do dental lab work, and I worked for a professor, performing assisting and front end duties at her private practice. Upon graduating fifth in my class, I was voted by the faculty as the best general dentist of my class (Academy of General Dentist’s Award), and earned the Orthodontics Award, the Periodontics Award, and a position in the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honors Fraternity.
“After dental school, I worked as an associate at Lapeer Dental Centre for 5 years before venturing out on my own. I bought the practice in St. Johns from Dr. Henry Burkhardt and practiced on State Street for 2 years. We have now been in St. Johns for 12 years and at our current location for 10 years.
“Currently, I am an active member of the American Dental Association, Michigan Dental Association, Central District Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Michigan Academy of General Dentistry, National Association of Professional Women, and the Christian Medical and Dental Association. I frequently speak to local classes and groups such as 4H about dentistry and dental care. We participate in Donated Dental Services and the MDA’s Mission of Mercy, and we donate dental supplies to many local charities. We love supporting our patients in the mission field.
“My husband Kevin is the Business Manager for the office, and he does our facility management. We have a teenaged son, Jimmy, who is the joy of our lives. I am an avid scrapbooker, crafter, and reader, and I teach sword for Master Collins Sr Kendo. Kevin and I are active with Pilgrim United Methodist Church, the Lansing Area Emmaus Community, Keryx (prison ministry), karate (Professional Karate Schools of America), and PAPAs (missions serving Jamaica). We have now earned our Second Degree Black Belts in Tang Soo Do as a family, along with our 6th degree Samurai with their Kendo group”.
Gentner Family Dentistry is located at 907 S. US-27. https://www.gentnerfamilydentistry.com/
Dr. Pol coming to the 4-H Fair
Attention fairgoers everywhere. Dr. Jan Pol will be coming to Clinton County Youth Fair this year on Thursday, August 1 at 1 p.m. Be sure to mark your calendars now.
With more than 40 years of veterinary experience, Dr. Pol is a pioneer in treating animals. He is also star of Nat Geo WILD’s No. 1 series The Incredible Dr. Pol, which follows the doctor on his routine 14-hour workdays treating both pets and livestock from his office near Weidman.
A graduate of the prestigious Utrecht University Veterinary program, Dr. Pol immigrated to the United States in 1971. After ten years of practice, he moved to Weidman, Michigan in 1981 and founded Pol Veterinary Services out of his garage with his wife Diane. With a down-to-earth, practical approach to veterinary medicine, Dr. Pol grew his practice from a humble start to one with over 20,000 clients.
Specializing in large farm animals, Dr. Pol treats horses, pigs, cows, sheep, alpacas, goats, chickens and even an occasional reindeer. A true friend of the farmer, he works tirelessly to ensure that the diminishing population of family farmers remains in business. And he plays an integral role in keeping farmers’ livestock healthy and their businesses profitable. Dr. Pol works with many 4-H groups and feels every child should grow up with a furry friend. For that reason, he tries to keep pet ownership affordable.
With his thick Dutch accent, signature mustache and vintage 1981 “Back to the Future” DeLorean car, Dr. Pol is nothing short of a local legend.
St. Peter: 150 years in photos – Double wedding
Two Luecht sisters were brides in a double wedding held Oct. 4, 1939 – a first for St. Peter. From left to right: Clarence Light and Bertha Luecht Light, and Florence Luecht Hopp and Lloyd Hopp.
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Why Not to Give a Baby Chicken for Easter
courtesy of Dr. Sarah Wooten
Let’s face it: Easter chicks are adorable. There is something about that tiny, fluffy, peeping magical creature that just begs you to buy her and give her as a gift to someone you love. I get it. Even though the few moments of bliss to be had cuddling a baby chicken are straight-up heaven, the question begs to be asked: is it a good idea to buy a baby chicken for Easter?
This vet says probably not.
Many chicks that are purchased at Easter end up being surrendered. Local humane societies can become inundated with Easter chicks that have grown up into less cuddly adult chickens, and unfortunately, many of these chickens are put to death because there is nowhere for them to go.
If you are thinking about buying an Easter chick to keep or give as a gift as a way to celebrate the springtime solstice holiday, here is some veterinary advice to keep in mind before you make this decision.
Baby Chickens As Pets
This probably goes without saying, but a chick isn’t a toy. He or she is a living creature and deserves our respect and care. Unless you have a coop and the equipment needed to properly care for domestic fowl (which chickens are) and either have experience caring for backyard chickens or plan to get that experience, then you should not purchase a baby chicken.
If you are still considering it, before you do, it is important to investigate which breed of chicken you are thinking about purchasing. Some breeds are more aggressive towards humans and other chickens once they are grown.
There is also a chance that you might get a rooster. Although chicken producers do their best to sex the chicks, the process is not 100 percent accurate, and sometimes, rooster chicks are accidentally sold as hen chicks. What is your plan if you have a rooster (which can crow a lot, by the way) and not a hen?
It is also important to note your town’s laws about keeping chickens within city limits. Some towns require special permits, limit the number of hens, prohibit roosters or forbid chicken-keeping altogether within city limits.
Baby Chicks Have Special Care Requirements
Chickens need a coop to sleep in and lay eggs. This coop needs to be secured against foxes and raccoons, which tend to be the most common predator of backyard chickens.
Chickens need indoor and outdoor areas, and a chick needs a heat lamp. Chicks require special food that must be purchased from a tractor or ranch supply store.
Chickens can live seven to eight years, if properly cared for, so it is important to note that you are committing to care for a chicken for the life of the bird when you purchase a chick.
Chicks Can Harbor Disease
Chickens can carry bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, and can cause disease in humans. The very old, the very young, organ-transplant recipients, cancer patients, and humans with HIV are at highest risk of contracting disease from a chicken.
Bacteria is spread in feces and can also be present on feathers. It is important to always wash your hands after handling adult or baby chickens.
Dyeing Baby Chicks on Easter
Baby chickens being dyed in Easter egg colors is a new trend that has been outlawed in many areas. The idea is that baby chickens that are dyed are more appealing to the consumer. These chicks are either dyed by injecting dye into the egg before hatching, or sprayed after hatching.
There are no studies that show how this impacts the health of the bird. But you don’t need a study to know that even if some people think a baby chicken that is dyed purple looks like a fun play toy, it is not—chicks are living creatures that will need long-term care and protection.
Fun Alternatives to Easter Chicks
Even though I may have rained on your Easter chick parade, there are still many things you can do to celebrate the return of Ostara that don’t involve purchasing a baby chick.
Here are some ideas:
– Visit a local petting zoo or a baby animal nursery.
– Give a chocolate, candy or plush chicken or rabbit as Easter gifts.
– Give a birdfeeder and birdseed or a hummingbird feeder to attract and feed local wild birds.
– Give seeds or a young plant to celebrate the birth of spring.
Now and Then – Rising from the ashes
The television was on when we came home from the grocery store Monday afternoon. In Paris, France the Cathedral of Notre Dame was on fire.
While the world watched, the commentators spoke of their personal memories of the cathedral. Immediately we began to recall similar catastrophes much closer to home.
The first image that came to mind was that of the 1959 loss of Westphalia’s St. Mary Church. Like the Notre Dame fire, it was believed to have been started accidentally by workmen. Here is how it was recalled in the Westphalia Area History, 1836-1976. https://stmarychurch.net/fire-in-the-church
We remember it from a personal perspective. My parents were not fire chasers; they dreaded the idea of hopping in the car whenever the fire whistle blew. This time they waited a respectable amount of time so as not to become a part of the problem. Eventually we could stand it no longer and drove from St. Johns to Westphalia to view the disaster. Cleanup had begun, and there was not much left to see. Of course out of those ruins came the beautiful St. Mary Church that stand in Westphalia today.
The Westphalia church fire brought to mind the loss of the Methodist Church in St. Johns in the late 1930s. My father recalled hearing the fire whistle go about supper time. The fire raged into the night. The next day some brave soul ventured in and played the chimes once more before the church was declared a total loss and the remains torn down. Up and down Clinton Avenue merchants, both Catholic and Protestant, donated to the cause. As in Westphalia the larger Church rallied and replaced the church building, and life went on.
The other conflagration that came to mind Monday afternoon was the Good Friday fire that took out the old Steel Hotel in 1975. A stroll a couple of blocks from home showed that the firemen were already in the building, and we imagined that they would quickly tamp down the source of the little smoke visible from the Higham Street entrance. But all through the evening and on into the night, a light rain began to fall and sirens continued to wail. Eventually the Fowler Fire Department pulled one of their rigs up in front of the house on Ottawa Street. The constant flashing red lights frightened the little children, and there was a slumber party in the living room that night. Later that night we bundled the kids up and stood in front of Spud Heathman’s house and watched as the tower flamed up and eventually fell.
The Steel Hotel was not rebuilt, but thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters from around the area, the other businesses on Clinton Avenue were spared. The loss we suffered that night didn’t make the national news although one of the Detroit newspapers made mention of the hotel fire. St. Johns picked up the pieces and went on.
The world is still reeling from the events in Paris, and people are resolved to make the best of a terrible situation and go on. That’s what we do. We go on.