{"id":16441,"date":"2022-07-21T20:57:34","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T00:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/?p=16441"},"modified":"2022-07-21T20:57:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T00:57:34","slug":"features-228","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/?p=16441","title":{"rendered":"Features"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Pageant contestants visit Irrer Mint Farm<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ss-Papq0Sgc\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We can\u2019t celebrate the Mint Festival without celebrating mint. Candidates got to learn all about mint farming from Tom Irrer and Andy T during a visit to Irrer Mint Farm. Even the rain couldn\u2019t dampen the fun evening learning about our mint heritage.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Suntree kids welcome special visitor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/suntree.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"413\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16444\" \/><\/p>\n<p>St. Johns Police Chief David Kirk enjoyed meeting some local kids and handing out badges during a recent Briggs District Library event at Suntree Apartments.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>SJHS 2022 grad tapped for University&#8217;s new lacrosse program<\/strong><br \/>\nby Maralyn Fink<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/lacrosse1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"287\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16445\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A friend of the St. Johns Indy told us this week about a local graduate who plans to go on to bigger things later this year.<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa Bailey has been awarded a scholarship for ladies lacrosse at the University of Health Science and Pharmacy in St. Louis Missouri. She will be studying bio-medical science and has aspirations of being a dentist. She has accumulated some serious honors in high school including being first in her graduating class.<\/p>\n<p>Outside of the classroom Vanessa has accumulated 55+ hours or volunteer experience working behind the scenes at the East Lansing Public Library as an organizer, creator, and aid. She has been busy supervising and guiding children in STEAM related educational events such as II robotics lab and 3D printing demonstration at the Maker Studio in Lansing MI. Closer to home she worked at stocking and organizing the school pantry to help combat food and hygiene insecurity.<\/p>\n<p>Of course she has been a St. Johns Lacrosse Team Member since 2019. She earned her Varsity Letter in Lacrosse 2021 and the Capital Area Activities Conference All Academic Award in Lacrosse in 2021 and 2022, the Capital Area Activities Conference All Conference Team Lacrosse in 2021 and the Capital Area Activities Conference Honorable Mention All Conference Team Lacrosse 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Best of luck in Missouri and beyond!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>New disc golf markers at City Park<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/citygolf.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"347\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16447\" \/> &#8211; <em>photo courtesy of Darryl Schmits<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Remember When<\/strong> &#8211; 2009 Mint royalty contestants hold food drive<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/missmint2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"569\" height=\"210\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16448\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Mint Festival kicks off in an elegant fashion on Wednesday, August 12 with the annual Mint Pageant. The Pageant will be held in the auditorium of St. Johns High School and will start at 7:30 pm. In keeping with the theme, a \u201cshining moment\u201d for each of the contestants will be featured in a power point presentation.<\/p>\n<p>During the evening, six young ladies will compete for the opportunity to represent the Mint Festival and St. Johns as the 2009 Mint Queen. The newly crowned Queen will receive a one-year scholarship from Baker College of Owosso, valued at $4,000 or a $1000 cash scholarship from the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n<p>There will also be eight young girls, ages 8 to 10 years old competing for the Little Miss Mint title and seven girls ages 12 through 14 competing for the Junior Miss Mint title. A group of mid-Michigan individuals, unknown to the contestants, will make the difficult decision of selecting the winners.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/missmint1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"441\" height=\"310\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16449\" \/><\/p>\n<p>2009 Pageant contestants held a food drive for the local food bank. Doing a community service project is now a requirement to participate in the pageant.<\/p>\n<p>The emcee for the evening will be WILX TV-10 Newscaster Jason Colthorp. Current Mint Queen Sabrina Hebeler, Junior Miss Mint Alexa Ruestman and Little Miss Mint Cassie Rapelje will crown the new royalty during the evening. General seating tickets for the pageant are available at the Chamber of Commerce office for $8 each. You should plan to get your tickets in advance \u2013 we can not guarantee their availability the night of the pageant.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Maralyn&#8217;s Pet Corner<\/strong> &#8211; Why Do Dogs Like Squeaky Toys?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/dogtoy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"362\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16452\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Just the sheer number of toy options for dogs is a clear indicator that dogs love toys. There are toys that bounce, toys that fly, toys for chewing, toys for tugging, and, probably the most interesting of all, toys that squeak.<\/p>\n<p>What is it about squeaky toys that gets dogs so excited and engaged?<\/p>\n<p>While we can\u2019t read dogs\u2019 minds or ask them why they find squeaky toys so alluring, we can observe their body language and behavior to form a few viable theories.<\/p>\n<p>First, we\u2019ll need to take a look at why dogs like to play and the types of play they seem to enjoy.<\/p>\n<p><em>Why Do Dogs Play?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Something that people have in common with dogs is that we love to play. \u201cOur unique relationship with dogs is, in part, a result of our mutual love of play,\u201d says Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists Patricia McConnell, PhD, and Karen London, PhD, authors of \u201cPlay Together, Stay Together: Happy and Healthy Play Between People and Dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Retaining this juvenile trait, \u201cthe love of play,\u201d into adulthood is an example of neoteny. According to Dr. McConnell and Dr. London, it\u2019s unusual for most adult animals to play with any regularity, although a few exceptions exist.1<\/p>\n<p>Through the process of domestication in dogs, we\u2019ve selected for the retention of the desire to play, which contributes to our emotionally based bond with dogs.<\/p>\n<p><em>Types of Play<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Dogs typically engage in social play and solitary play.<\/p>\n<p>Social play involves a partner, which might be another dog, a human, or another species of animal. Solitary play often involves objects such as toys.<\/p>\n<p>In a 2015 study by Bradshaw, Pullen, and Rooney, they examined the playfulness of adult dogs. They discuss how play behavior is usually made up of motor patterns characteristic of predatory, agonistic, and courtship behavior.2<\/p>\n<p>They state that solitary play with objects resembles predatory behavior, both in form and motivation, and that the preferred toys are those that can be dismembered.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Allure of the \u201cSqueak\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While some dogs don\u2019t particularly care for squeaky toys, the vast majority do seem to really love them.<\/p>\n<p>Why are they so drawn to these types of toys? Is it that the sound reminds them of scared or injured prey, thus tapping into their \u201cwild\u201d side? Are they positively reinforced by us for engaging with squeaky toys? Or, is it just plain old fun?<\/p>\n<p>Here are three theories that can help you understand the squeak appeal.<\/p>\n<p><em>Prey-Drive Theory<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Wolves, the ancestors of domestic dogs, were hunters that had to rely on catching prey to live. Today, dogs still have these inherent prey drives, although some more than others.<\/p>\n<p>During the domestication process, various traits have been enhanced in different breeds. Does this affect how a dog plays?<\/p>\n<p>A 2017 study by Mehrkam et al. looked at the influence of breed on social and solitary play in dogs. They chose adult dogs from working lines (retrievers, herders, and livestock-guarding dogs).<\/p>\n<p>Of the three breed types, they found that overall, retrievers and herders were significantly more likely to engage in solitary play (i.e., with toys) than livestock-guarding dogs.3<\/p>\n<p>However, they also found that social play levels did not differ significantly across breed types.<\/p>\n<p>While this study didn\u2019t specifically look at \u201csqueaky toy\u201d play, another study (Pullen, Merrill, Bradshaw, 2010) found that dogs had more interest in playing with toys that can be easily chewed and\/or made a noise.4<\/p>\n<p>Again, we wonder, does the squeaky noise stimulate dogs at an instinctive level? Many sources suggest that this is the case, but it has not been proven through studies as of yet.<\/p>\n<p><em>Human Reinforcement Theory<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Another theory is that pet parents are somehow reinforcing the play behavior in dogs. In other words, dogs notice that we give them more attention when they play with a squeaky toy. Dogs are masters at figuring out what gets our attention (and it\u2019s hard to ignore a squeaky toy).<\/p>\n<p>The Mehrkam, et al. study found that across all breeds, higher levels of play were seen when human attention was a factor as well as a moving toy (like throwing a ball for the dog). It makes sense that by interacting with our dog during toy play, we can increase their interest in the toy.<\/p>\n<p>However, I believe it\u2019s a case of mutual reinforcement. I\u2019ve never come across a human that can pick up a squeaky toy without squeezing it to make it squeak, me included.<\/p>\n<p>We just can\u2019t resist it, and we like the response we get from dogs when we squeak the toy, thus reinforcing the squeezing action.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cJust Plain Fun\u201d Theory<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Doing something that elicits an entertaining response is just plain fun and enjoyable. It stands to reason that dogs enjoy squeaky toys because it\u2019s fun to bite down and get an interesting sound.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just toys that elicit the squeaking sounds that dogs like. Many dogs also love toys that grunt or make other noises.<\/p>\n<p>Dogs engage in behaviors that are reinforced or rewarded, which is why we repeat \u201cfun\u201d things. They are self-reinforcing.<\/p>\n<p>Moving about, playing, and exercising, both with a toy and\/or with us, also triggers the release of happy hormones (serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin).<\/p>\n<p><em>What If Your Dog Doesn\u2019t Like Squeaky Toys?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If your dog doesn\u2019t like squeaky toys, or toys in general, are they abnormal? Not at all.<\/p>\n<p>Dogs are individuals, like us, and they have likes and dislikes. Some dogs prefer tug toys or flying discs, and some dogs don\u2019t like toy play at all, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n<p>Some dogs engage their new squeaky toy with reckless abandon and don\u2019t stop until they\u2019ve disemboweled the toy and removed the squeaker with the precision of a surgeon. Others leave their toy intact and functional for years.<\/p>\n<p>For my dog, part of the fun of getting a squeaky toy seems to be that he gets to engage in the entertaining challenge of getting the squeaker out of the toy.<\/p>\n<p>My guess is that, as is the case for all behavior, it is a combination of genetics (perhaps prey drive and neoteny?), rewarding behaviors, and just plain old fun that drives the zest with which dogs engage their squeaky toys.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pageant contestants visit Irrer Mint Farm We can\u2019t celebrate the Mint Festival without celebrating mint. Candidates got to learn all about mint farming from Tom Irrer and Andy T during a visit to Irrer Mint Farm. Even the rain couldn\u2019t dampen the fun evening learning about our mint heritage. Suntree kids welcome special visitor St. <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/?p=16441\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16441\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}