2016
LIVING WELL SECTION C
PROGRESS
Wednesday, March 30
A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE MINING JOURNAL ALSO INSIDE
PAGE 2C National Radon Action Month When love isn’t enough
Cindy Engle, co-owner of Windsong Studios seen upper left, displays a piece of fused glass art that she crafted in the working studio. Windsong Studios moved to its current location in the lower level of the Masonic Square Mall in Marquette last year. Above, embroidered hats are seen. At left a fused glass wine rack. Below are shelves displaying fused glass artwork in Windsong Studios. (Journal photos by Ryan Jarvi)
PAGE 3C VA proposes changes to veterans’ benefits Community for health
PAGE 4C Paint it pink Integrated Wellness Chiropractic
PAGE 5C Federal health coverage open policy enrollment Pedaling for Parkinson’s
PAGE 6C Little teeth, big smiles Area seniors 'ACT' UP
Creative Collaborations Windsong Studios offers unique, locally made products By RYAN JARVI Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — In the basement of the Masonic Square Mall in downtown Marquette, a relatively new establishment is picking up momentum with local customers. Windsong Studios was created about a year ago, and after occupying a different space in the Masonic Square Mall for a while, it moved to its current location, which was formerly used by Wolfgangs Haus of Glass “Its a working studio where we produce what we sell in here,” said Cindy Engle, who co-owns the business with Brian and Kena McEachern. While Kena McEachern focuses on embroidered art and quilting, and Brian McEachern works on stained glass projects and also teaches classes on that style of art inside Windsong Studios, Engle is the in-house jewelry and fused glass artist. “Personally, Ive been into art one way or another forever,” said Engle, who also runs the Outback Art Fair in
Marquette during the summertime. About 20 years ago, Engle said she had a ceramics shop, which had been operating for roughly two decades at that point. “I was doing fusing glass at the end of that period of time, and then when we closed the ceramic shop ... I had my kilns but they were never hooked up,” she said. “So I didnt do any glass fusing for about 20 years, and then actually I was over at Hot Plate and did something over there, and I thought I want to do this again.” But Engle hasnt always been a fused glass artist. She used to work with stained glass, as well, about 30 years ago. “I quit doing that when my now 29year-old was 1 because he wanted to do everything mom did,” she said. “Sharp shards of glass and little boys are not a good combination, so I kind of stopped that. I really enjoy the fusing more than the stained glass myself. I think its because I feel a little more creative with things when youre
making things work certain ways to be what you want, like making (a piece) look like its in the bottom of the lake — to give you that effect — and playing with things to come up with it.” Windsong Studios first set up shop February 2015 in its original location on the main floor of the Masonic Square Mall. In April, the studio moved into its current location. “I think it was a progressively good year all along and were very happy with it,” Engle said. “Its very nice to have work space to accomplish what you need to get accomplished and then still have a nice retail space.” In addition to supplies, the shop sells all types of art completed by the owners, including a variety of Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior inspired pieces. “We try to stay not doing what everybody else is doing,” Engle said. “You can find a lot of U.P. stuff. Some of it
See Windsong
Continued on 7C
PAGE 7C Tree of Life Caring for the caregivers
2C -— The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30
PROGRESS2016
National Radon Action Month Residents encouraged to test homes for deadly gas
MARQUETTE — Millions of Americans each year are exposed to a naturally occurring, odorless radioactive gas that also happens to be a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking cigarettes. That gas is radon, and health agencies throughout the U.S. have teamed up to make January "National Radon Action Month" in order to spread awareness about the dangers of the gas and the relatively simple steps one can take to avoid harmful levels of exposure. The easiest way to take action is to test your home for radon, said Patrick Jacuzzo, director of environmental health at the Marquette County Health Department. "The only way to know if you have elevated levels of radon is to test your home, and it's fairly simple to do that," he said. "The process is just a matter of placing the test kit in your home for anywhere between three and five days, and then mailing it in to a laboratory." MCHD has test kits available for $12. Reported in picocuries — a unit that measures the radioactive decay of a substance over time —
any test result above four picocuries is considered elevated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Jacuzzo said. "The first thing to do if you get an elevated test is to do a confirmation retesting. Typically the EPA doesn't recommend action unless you have a confirmation test to validate what your levels actually are," he said. "And then your immediate action would depend on how high your levels are. If they're under 10 picocuries per liter, it's recommended that you do a long-term test to figure out what your averages are over the course of a year. And ... if your two short-term tests are above 10, then you're pretty much sure that you have a level of concern." At that point, Jacuzzo said, you would want to take steps to mitigate the amount of radon you're being exposed to - essentially you want to vent the gas so it doesn't collect in your home. "They call it - the fancy term is 'active or passive soil depressurization,' but basically it's a ventilation system that allows gases that are occurring around your foundation and beneath your home to be vented out through the
Radon test kits are available at the Marquette County Health Department. (Journal file photo)
roof of your house, rather than seeping in through your floor and then traveling through your house," he said. Some places in the U.P. and Marquette County have naturally elevated levels of radon, Jacuzzo said, which, because it's naturally occurring, "has to do with the geological formations that we have here." "Radon gas is produced naturally by the radioactive decay of uranium (also thorium and radium) in
the soil and bedrock that's deposited geologically," he said. But according to a joint press release from the EPA, the American Lung Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, radon is not isolated to certain geographical areas. One in 15 American homes contain high levels of the gas. More than 20,000 people in the U.S. die each year from lung cancer attributed to
radon. The EPA consistently ranks it among the top environmental health risks, and a Harvard Center for Risk Analysis study ranked it the number one health risk in the home. Luckily, once you've tested your home, you shouldn't need regular testing, unless you've made considerable "construction changes to your home," Jacuzzo said. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing your home if it's been two or more
years since your last test. But levels can vary widely even between your neighbors' houses and your own, Jacuzzo said. "The only way to know what's going on in your home is to test, because there's a lot of site-specific variables with regard to how that stuff gets into your home," he said. For more information about radon or radon testing, or to obtain a radon test kit, call the Marquette County Health Department at 475-4195.
When love isn’t enough Coping with a loved one’s mental illness is no easy task
By Journal Staff MARQUETTE — The Alger/Marquette County branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness offered a 12-week course in February 2015 to help families and friends of people with mental illness understand and cope with the challenges of their loved one's illness. It was the sixth time NAMI-Alger/Marquette offered the course, said Cindy Bertucci, one of the certified teachers of the class. To date, more than 150,000 family members in 48 states have completed the course. Bertucci, who has bipolar disorder, said the
(Digital illustration by Selena Hautamaki)
class allows people to share their experiences and realize they're not alone, as well as understand their own limitations in what they can do for their loved one. "I personally tell the family members that I believe it's harder on the family or friends of the person (with the mental illness) than the person that has it," she said. "Because we have to do medications, learn how to deal with things, but they're somewhere that there's most of the time nothing they can do. And especially if the person is an adult - unless they hurt themselves, you
can't make them go to the hospital, you can't make them take their medication." There was also an emphasis on family members learning to move past their own guilt and knowing when to remove themselves from a situation. “The biggest thing to stress to them is, if there's times they have to just kind of back off or walk away, they shouldn't feel guilty about it, because their hands are tied," Bertucci said. "There's only so much they can do." She said the class has taught people not to
blame themselves for the mental illness of their loved one. "Because especially moms will blame themselves if they have a child that has it - and it's not their fault," she said. "This is no one's fault. It just happens. It's a chemical imbalance." Bertucci said the class also focused on understanding the nature of that chemical imbalance for various mental illnesses at the level of the brain. Focusing on the brain, Bertucci said, helps to dispel some of the stigma associated with mental illness. She said people
should treat those with mental illness the same way they would anyone else with a health problem. “If there's someone you know that has cancer, the first thing you do is call and make sure they're OK, maybe you bring
Feet
something to their house," she said. "But if you tell somebody that, 'My wife just came out of the hospital and she has bipolar,' it's like everybody wants to just run
See Coping
Continued on 7C
First
Reflexology
869-1395 • Masonic Building, Downtown Marquette
The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30 — 3C
PROGRESS2016
VA proposes changes to veterans’ benefits Local attorney leads opposition
By RYAN JARVI Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — The Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed new regulations to its benefit program that could severely impact wartime veterans and their spouses who are reimbursed for long-term care expenses. The VA's proposed changes in its Aid and Attendance program include capping the allowable deduction for inhome health care, implementing a three-year look-back period of financial records and establishing a penalty period of up to 10 years for financial transfers that would disqualify veterans from receiving the benefits. Changes would also limit how much land a recipient can own to 2 acres, which would discriminate against Upper Peninsula veterans and their spouses, said Robert Anderson, of the Marquette-based Elder Law Firm of Anderson Associates, P.C. "This will result in rendering a wartime veteran homeless to qualify for this program, and how many people in the U.P. have lot sizes of more than 2 acres?," Anderson said. "Well, if you're a veteran and you live in the Detroit area, that's proba-
bly going to be OK, but there are many, many, many veterans or their surviving spouses who live in homes with way more than 2 acres of lot size." Anderson was one of six with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys who planned to submit more than 20 pages of comments to the VA opposing the changes. Anderson wrote a portion of the NAELA comments specifically addressing the VA's lack of authority to make those regulations. "Congress itself was considering by statute making these, the lookback and the penalty period, statutorily effective in Congressional statute in the last two years," he said. "And guess what happened in the last two years? It died in committee. It didn't get out of their Congressional committee. And so what the VA is trying to do is write laws that Congress did not pass. They're trying to usurp Congressional statutory authority by writing regulations for which they have no statutory authority to do. A federal agency cannot write the laws. Only Congress writes the law." The VA's Aid and Attendance program provides
non-service connected benefits to help veterans and surviving spouses obtain monthly benefits when they become home-bound or disabled allowing them to stay at home or in an assisted living facility, Anderson said. Under the current program, up to $2,120 per month can be received by eligible married veterans; $1,788 per month for single veterans; and $1,149 a month for spouses. "That can really make a difference in their lives," Anderson said. To qualify veterans must have a net worth of $80,000 or less and require the help of other people for daily activities. The look-back regulation would examine applicants' past three years of financial records and apply a penalty period of up to 10 years for a gift or financial transfer made at less than fair market value, which could be suspected as being done to meet the net worth requirement. To be excluded from the penalty, the VA would require evidence that the transfer was due to fraud, misrepresentation or unfair practice. "The VA has never penalized you for giving some gifts prior to applying for this program," An-
derson said. "What if you're making gifts to your church, ... what if you're making minor gifts to your children at Christmas or birthday gifts, or to your grandchildren? You're penalized, you're totally booted off this program." Implementing the lookback and penalty periods would actually cost more than it would save, Anderson said citing a Nov. 12, 2013 Congressional Budget Office report. According to the report, less than 1 percent of all eligible veterans or survivors have disposed of assets that would disqualify them from eligibility within the three-year window. To maintain the current processing rates for pension claims, the VA would need to hire about 70 employees at an average cost of $100,000 per employee if the look-back period is implemented, according to the CBO report. The report also predicted the look-back period to save the VA $5 million annually once fully implemented. The processing rate is already an issue, Anderson said, and the proposed regulations could lengthen that process or discourage people from applying because of increased scrutiny and pa-
Robert Anderson is seen on the cover of NAELA News magazine. (Photo courtesy of Robert Anderson)
perwork. "Right now, the processing takes between six and eight months to process a claim for the Aid and Attendance," he said. "Well, now it's going to take longer." The regulations could also burden the state's Medicaid program, Anderson said, as costs shift over from the federally funded VA program. "More of these honorable, wartime veterans are going to be forced into nursing homes and apply for state Medicaid, and if you apply for state Medicaid in the nursing home, we're looking at spending between $6,000 to $8,000," he said. "Whereas, if they were at home and they only were getting $2,120, public benefits would be less. So now
you're going to shift the public benefit from the federal VA program to the state Medicaid, and state Medicaid is going to be worse off because now they have to pay a huge amount for Medicaid nursing home costs, which is much, much greater than this VA benefit." Moreover, Anderson said veterans could become ineligible because of basic estate planning, such as putting assets in a living trust to avoid going to probate court. "They consider that to be a transfer that disqualifies you," he said. "So it's not fair, it's just not fair."
Ryan Jarvi can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is rjarvi@miningjournal.net.
Community for health K.I. Sawyer Community Health and Wellness Coalition begins
By CHRISTIE BLECK Journal Staff Writer K.I. SAWYER — It's easier to be healthy in some places than others. The newly formed K.I. Sawyer Community Health and Wellness Coalition will acknowledge that. Community members representing the Forsyth Township Police Department, Gwinn Area Community Schools, Marquette County and other entities gathered at a kickoff dinner in December at K.I. Sawyer Community Center, which could be the future hub of coalition efforts. They expressed interest in creating an organized effort to improve community health at the former Air Force base, which closed in 1995 and has been met with challenges in the form of abandoned buildings and crime. Erin Carter, a Michigan State University Extension educator based in its Hancock and Marquette offices, is helping spearhead the coalition's formation. “The kid part of this area is just so heartwrenching,” Carter said, “and I just can't get over that we can't all somehow work together, and let's get this going, because there's a group of people that need people like us.” The fact that kids are at the K.I. Sawyer Community Center until 9 p.m. showed her the community needs something like the coalition. "Whenever you change some things in a community, health really can be improved," Carter said, "and they say that health really goes by your zip code." Along with MSU Exten-
sion, partners in the coalition are the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the YMCA of Marquette County and K.I. Sawyer programming. Tyler LaPlaunt, community health educator with the Sault Tribe, led the kickoff meeting at the Community Center. He said what brought the coalition organizers' attention to K.I. Sawyer was the large number of local students receiving free or reduced lunches. "We're trying to make a heartbeat for the community, a hub that people can come to and get all the things that they need, and health programming, nutrition programming, physical activity and fitness," LaPlaunt said. “I have really good connections with Northern (Michigan University). Northern's here, so we have a lot of plans for this space." Future possibilities include a playground set, community garden, safe bicycle paths, a soccer field, cross-country ski trails and a Veggie Van, which would be used to pick up fresh produce from area hoop houses and bring to K.I. Sawyer for access to healthy food. Monica Nelson, a registered dietitian with the YMCA, pointed out that using the only available public transportation, Marq-Tran, it takes about an hour one way to shop in more populated areas. "Transportation's a huge issue," Nelson said. Jane Nordeen, who runs the Community Center located along Explorer Street, said the facility is a place for kids to go. It houses a dining area, library, gymnasium and game room, among other
amenities, and provides activities like movies, arts and crafts, holiday parties and dancing. "All in all, I think it's been a great success," said Nordeen, who noted the facility should continue to sustain itself. Forsyth Township Police Chief Gordon Warchock cautioned the coalition to initially focus on small goals. However, he favors keeping children active and busy. "I've been in law en-
forcement 27 years," Warchock said, "and I've always said that the young people I deal with, unfortunately, under bad circumstances, that have done something really bad, very few of them have been a child that's Vitale Collins, 8, of K.I. Sawyer, shoots pool at the K.I. really active in school and Sawyer Community Center. The K.I. Sawyer Community after school. They don't Health and Wellness Coalition has been formed to address have time to go down a the area's health needs. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck) bad path." Anyone interested in Hancock office at 906- er," Carter said. helping with the coalition 482-5830, or email her at Christie Bleck can be may call Carter at the Ex- ecarter@msu.edu. "I just think it's a win-win reached at 906-228tension's Marquette office at 906-475-5731 or the for all of us to get togeth- 2500, ext. 250.
4C — The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30
PROGRESS2016
Paint it pink Painting the Peninsula Pink raises money for good cause
By RYAN JARVI Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — A community effort called Painting the Peninsula Pink raised nearly $15,000 last year for the Superior Health Foundation Breast Health Fund. “The SHF Breast Health Fund was created in January 2014 as a means to provide charitable funding to men and women across the Upper Peninsula to help with out-ofpocket breast health expenses,” said Jim LaJoie, executive director of the Superior Health Foundation. Among other things, the fund provides money for mammograms, ultrasound testing, fitted bras and to help alleviate travel costs associated with breast health appointments and care. Painting the Peninsula Pink, which is an annual fundraiser held in October, began in 2014 after the SHF identified a need in the region. In 2015, the effort raised about $14,300 in net proceeds. The money was given to Upper Peninsula health departments, which serve as
the agents responsible for identifying and disbursing funds to eligible people who apply. During the month, LaJoie said the SHF seeks businesses from across the region to act as a “day pink sponsor” for $250, with the intent of filling up the entire calendar for October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “With a day sponsorship, businesses receive recognition on the SHF web page and Facebook page, along with links to their website to signify their support,” LaJoie said. “In addition, each year the SHF partners with a high school in the U.P. to host a signature Pink Party event to raise money for the fund.” Last year, the SHF partnered with Munising High School and held the pink party at the schools homecoming football game in early October. “There, we sold pink merchandise and raffled off pink jerseys, worn by the Mustangs, after the game. It was a wonderful collaborative effort,” LaJoie said. “In return, SHF donated a portion of the
net income raised selling merchandise back to Munising High School to support the purchase of a health-centered item that aligns with our mission. Munising used the funds to purchase an automatic external defibrillator at its high school.” Last years presenting sponsor for Painting the Peninsula Pink was Honor Credit Union, and LaJoie said fundraising effort offers businesses the opportunity to rally behind a cause and have fun doing it. “On their sponsorship days, many businesses encouraged their employees to wear pink, sell pink baked good and do inhouse fundraising to help supplement the fund,” he said. “For example, the Upper Peninsula Health Plan held a silent auction at their Marquette office and raised nearly $1,700 to give to the fund. Efforts like these are so incredibly appreciated by us, but more importantly, the
(Digital illustration by Selena Hautamaki)
men and women from across the U.P. who benefit from this fund.” For more information on applying for breast health funding or donating to the cause, visit www.superiorhealthfoundation.org, or stop at the SHF office at 121 N. Front St., Marquette. Ryan Jarvi can be reached at 906-2282500, ext. 242. His email address is rjarvi@miningjournal.net.
Integrated Wellness Chiropractic Taking an individualized approach
By Journal Staff MARQUETTE — Dr. Brandon Turino asks simple but profound questions: Imagine you didn't have to deal with your current health challenges? How would your life be different? He and his staff at Integrated Wellness Chiropractic can help you find your own answers to those questions. "The way we approach things is to make your goals our objective," Turino said. "We take an individualized approach. And we treat the whole person." Turino and his staff start this individualized care from the very beginning of working with clients by doing a motion x-ray study before treatment starts and then another set afterward. "Motion study x-rays al-
low us to see what's working and what isn't to pinpoint the cause of your pain or problems," he said. "Then after a course of treatment, we show you that not only are you feeling good but the problem is also corrected. The idea is we're working for a long-term correction, in making a change.” A new, crucial part of this is a Wellness Score given to the client to kick off treatment. This score looks at parameters like waist to hip ratio, body mass index and blood pressure. "The idea is then to bring you from where you're at to where you want to be using natural, nonpharmaceutical means such as diet and exercise," he said. Turino said, for instance, someone whose Wellness Score
is a D might set the goal of reaching a B grade after treatment, while someone who is at B might want to achieve an A and an Acould strive to score an A+. "It's all based on goals for the individual," he said. In complement to Turino's treatment capabilities is the work done by Integrated Wellness licensed massage practitioner Adrienne Roberts, the only certified Active Release Technique practitioner in Marquette County. She's only one of four ART practitioners in the Upper Peninsula. "Essentially what I do is make your muscles younger," Roberts said. "For some it's not major trauma, like an auto accident, but instead a series of little traumas or
overuse issues, that have led to bigger problems for them. "ART finds adhesions and removes them," she said. "Think of ART as massage's crazy cousin that works harder, faster and more efficiently." Turino said anyone with recurring injuries especially can benefit from what Integrated Wellness offers. "The neuroskeletal area is me and the muscular is her. We're both helping your body, both your spine and muscles, to become younger in terms of function" he said. Integrated Wellness also offers work shop classes and other events in its remodeled location on Baraga Avenue in what formerly was the Marquette Food Co-op building.
Brandon Turino is seen demonstrating a chiropractic procedure. (Journal file photo)
The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30 — 5C
PROGRESS2016
Federal health coverage open policy enrollment Substantial number of Michigan residents sign up
By Journal Staff ISHPEMING — Between November and December 2014, more than 120,000 Michiganders signed up for health insurance plans through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, with more than half of those who signed up getting health insurance for the first time. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 123,208 people in Michigan signed up for a plan through the marketplace by the Dec. 15, 2014 deadline for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2015. 53 percent of those people were new enrollees. About 89 percent of people enrolling were considered eligible for financial assistance on their monthly premiums, up from 84 percent who selected plans over a similar period the prior year. "The vast majority were able to lower their costs even further by getting tax credits, making a difference in the bottom lines of so many families," Sylvia M. Bur-
well, secretary of HHS, said in a press release. "Interest in the Marketplace has been strong during the first month of open enrollment. We still have a ways to go and a lot of work to do ... but this is an encouraging start." However, those numbers do not include Michigan residents who used Healthcare.gov's automatic re-enrollment process, which began after the initial enrollment period, the release said. HHS "Weekly Enrollment Snapshot" shows nearly 6.5 million people nationwide selected a plan or were automatically re-enrolled from Nov. 15 to Dec. 26, 2014. During the first month of open enrollment 4 million people signed up for 2015 coverage. Of those, 3.4 million selected a plan in one of the 37 states — including Michigan — that use the federal marketplace. More than 600,000 consumers selected plans in the 13 states and District of Columbia that operate their own healthcare exchanges. Additionally, another
(Courtesy illustration)
roughly 36,000 people who tried to enroll during the same time period were determined by the marketplace to be eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, according to HHS data. Data from the Michigan Department of Community Health shows that as of Dec. 29, 2014 more than
500,000 people statewide are covered under Healthy Michigan, the state's Medicaid expansion program. Of that half-million, roughly 3,250 Marquette County residents enrolled in Healthy Michigan — by far the largest number of enrollees of any U.P. county. Begun in April 2014,
Healthy Michigan provides healthcare for residents 19 to 64 years old earning income at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level who do not qualify for or are not enrolled in Medicare or other Medicaid programs. More than 100,000 of the Michiganders under the Healthy Michigan Plan are
above 100 percent of the federal poverty level, according to MDCH. For local help in the federal healthcare enrollment process, visit localhelp.healthcare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. For information on applying for Healthy Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/healthymiplan or call 1-855-789-5610.
Pedaling for Parkinson’s YMCA hosts event with positive message
By CHRISTIE BLECK Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — Having Parkinson's disease could keep people from participating in some activities, but depending on their stage, pedaling a bicycle doesn't have to be one of them. The last Pedaling for Parkinson's sessions at the YMCA of Marquette County were scheduled to begin Jan. 11 and last eight weeks. Ruth Almen, active older adult program leader with the YMCA, said the first-ever program recently was completed. "It was fantastic," Almen said. "We had seven people. Everyone who started finished." The Superior Health Foundation provided funding for heart monitors for the program. Almen said the reaction from the participants, who were in different stages of Parkinson's, was positive. "The feedback from folks was they felt stronger," she said. "They felt like their balance improved significantly." She said they also appreciated they were treated like athletes, not sick people. She mentioned one man, who was in the early stages of the disease, had planned to go to Austria soon but wanted to keep his symptoms in check so he could continue to have a decent lifestyle. The class aided him in that quest, Almen said. "This is obviously going to help you," she said of the sessions. "You're going to feel stronger." Participants had to: Be between 30 and 80 years old. Be diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Complete and submit a signed consent form and obtain medical clearance. Complete an orienta-
tion with YMCA staff. Agree to periodically monitor progress. Parkinson's disease is called by a breakdown in the brain's nerve cells. They don't produce enough dopamine, which affects a person's ability to move the way they want to move. Symptoms include tremors, slow movement, stiff muscles and trouble with walking or balance. According to the YMCA, research conducted at the Cleveland Clinic showed a 35 percent re-
duction in symptoms by pedaling a bicycle at a rapid pace, which is 60 to 80 percent of a person's maximum capacity. A testimonial from a participant who took part in the program at the Mill Creek branch of the Snohomish County YMCA in Washington state, said after being diagnosed in the spring of 2010, he believed he no longer would be able to go on a fly-fishing trip. In 2012, he joined the Pedaling for Parkinsons
class. "I was able to walk a little better but still had problems on rocky surfaces," he said. "In 2013 I went fishing again and it was my best trip ever! I fished and waded much better. I was three years older but upon reflection I was extremely happy." For more information on the Marquette classes, call 227-9622 or email ralmen@ymcamqt.org. Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-2282500, ext. 250.
Participants work out in the recent Pedaling for Parkinsons program at the YMCA of Marquette County. (Photo courtesy of Ruth Almen)
6C — The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30
Little teeth, big smiles Wide Smiles Initiative focuses on early dental care
From left, Gracie, Jolene and Eli Spencer of Negaunee demonstrate the importance of practicing good dental health their their puppets. The U.P. Wide Smiles Oral Health Initiative wants parents to remember that nutrition and good dental health go hand in hand. (Photo courtesy of the Marquette County Health Department)
By CHRISTIE BLECK Journal Staff Writer NEGAUNEE — Kids with teeth grow into adults with teeth, and the sooner they pick up good dental habits, the better off they'll be. That's one of the purposes behind the U.P. Wide Smiles Oral Health Initiative, which began in November 2014 and concluded at the end of 2015. Rebecca Maino, dental health coordinator with the Marquette County Health Department, said a Superior Health Foundation provided a $195,000 grant for the collaboration between the six Upper Peninsula health departments. The project involved a fluoride mouthrinse program in U.P. schools and a fluoride varnish program for young children at the health departments and Women, Infants, and Children's sites, Maino said. Dr. Terry Frankovich, pediatrician and public health medical director, said in a news release: "By initiating these educational fluoride programs during early childhood and in the elementary schools, we will be establishing sustainable programs in the U.P. to combat tooth decay." U.P. children, Frankovich said, have a high rate of dental decay, but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoride can help reduce tooth decay by up to 40 percent. The initiative, Maino noted, is trying to reach the general population as well as the schools, their parents and their caregivers and caution them about the problem of consuming too much sugary food. Knowing sugar can lead to tooth decay isn't new, but people might not be aware of all the
items on grocery shelves that contain the sweet substance. "Sticky foods, or the gummy vitamins, a lot of these different drinks that people just kind of carry along with them and drink, they have a lot of sugar content to them, and that sugar can help create acids in their mouths, and the acids break down the tooth enamel," Maino said. "Therefore, it leads to tooth decay, and in the United States, 51.7 million hours are lost at school because of tooth problems." Maino acknowledged gummy vitamins are all well and good, but they shouldn't stay lodged in kids' molars. "Make sure your children are brushing their teeth before they go out the door," Maino said. She acknowledged that can be hard, especially if somebody has a birthday party with snacks, or kids are on a breakfast or after-school program. The bacteria in people's mouths, Maino said, recognize a sugary carbohydrate substance, and they produce an acidic environment, leading to tooth decay. "So, if you're doing that frequently throughout the day, every day, you know, your pH level drops," Maino said. "That's when you get that frequency over time." Maino said it is hoped kids brush not only before they leave home for the day, but at bedtime, and not eat again for the night. However, if brushing as often as recommended isn't possible for whatever reason, there are things youngsters can do. Drinking plain water between meals is beneficial, she said, and chewing sugarless gum can
reduce mouth acid. Fruit like apples and even cheese also can help. Maino said schools have been receptive to the initiative. In the mouthrinse program, fluoride is mixed in a little pump, and the liquid is distributed through cups, with the kids swishing the mixture in their mouths. Mouthrinse sessions take place once a week throughout the school year. The U.P. health departments also have been taking part in the fluoride varnish program in which a sticky substance is painted on the teeth of very young children like infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The varnish, which is raspberry-flavored, is so sticky, Maino said, it hardens when it hits a tooth surface, the reason being the substance has to stick to children's teeth so they don't swallow it. "They're young," Maino said. "It works well. They don't need a lot. They just paint on a thin coat, even if they have one tooth or all 20." A goal, she said, is that kids will pick up good daily dental habits, brushing and flossing at home. It's a goal that needs to be addressed. Thirdgraders in the U.P., Maino pointed out, have more tooth decay than third-graders in the Lower Peninsula because the U.P. doesn't have the access to fluoride. "There's a lot of rural areas up here where they have well water," Maino said, "so we don't have the access to fluoride as they do downstate." It is hoped, then, the initiatives will change that, she said. Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-2282500, ext. 250.
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Area seniors ‘ACT’ UP Beginning Senior Acting held at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center
Seniors are seen during an acting session at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center. Beginning Senior Acting classes were held in early 2015. (Journal file photo)
By RYAN JARVI Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — A few people got the chance to learn what it takes to be an actor through a program held at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center in the basement of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette. Classes for Beginning Senior Acting were held early 2015, and though the program has been around for a few years, it was Moire Embley's first as instructor. "(Its) not only a great experience for actors taking the class but also me as a director to work with a demographic I've never just worked with," she said. Embley graduated in 2010 from Northern Michigan University with a minor in theater. She's worked with and directed productions for the Lake Superior Youth
Theatre, the Marquette Regional History Center and has several years of classic vocal training and experience, having also traveled in 2004 to perform at New York City's Carnegie Hall with the Marquette Senior High School's Redmen Chorale. Students in Embley's first class on Monday warmed up the acting skills with a bit of improv, and she expects to teach other performance techniques for beginners, including breathing techniques and how to use one's body as an instrument for portraying emotion. "It's going to start with basic techniques - learning character analysis, how to be present on stage, learning awareness, body movement, memorization techniques," she said. "It's running for four weeks
as of right now, and if everybody wants it to continue and have it grow, then I can continue it, which I hope for." Peggy Jensen, one of the six people signed up for the class, said she wants to learn how not to "overact." "I've been overacting all my life," she said laughing. "Although I've done a little theater before in my youth, I thought this would be fun and I'm open to learning new things." Judy Eisenberg said she's been performing on the piano and vocals for quite a few years. "I don't have stage fright or performance anxiety," she said. "I enjoyed the last class about a year and a half ago, and I'd like to try this again. ... I get a lot of
See Acting
Continued on 7C
“The Hospice with Heart” You likely know that Lake Superior Hospice provides specialized care for people with lifelimiting illnesses, in their own home, in familiar surroundings and with friends and family. Our team of professionals ensures that the wishes of the patient and family are always at the center of care. Our focus is on the specific goals for each patient—physical, emotional, spiritual, and social.
But, did you know… We have an award-winning volunteer program—volunteers do everything from patient visits and caregiver respite, to office support, special events and fundraising. Our hospice physician team, Larry Skendzel, M.D., Stuart Johnson, D.O., and Jennifer Dehlin, M.D., are passionate about our continued excellence in patient care, and are readily available to visit our patients in their home when home visits are needed. Our committed and dedicated staff specializes in pain control and symptom management, and we continue to restructure and refine the way we bring aggressive symptom management into the home including providing pain pumps if needed for continuous infusion of pain medications. We maintain an ongoing commitment to the community through our bereavement support and grief groups which are open to the public. Almost half of the attendees in our sessions have not lost a loved one through hospice, but through accident, suicide, or heart-attack. We continue to bring hospice and palliative care to the forefront in healthcare and provide educational and learning opportunities to the medical community and public through our annual “Upper Great Lakes Palliative Care and Hospice Conference”. Although most care is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance, we are a non-profit agency, and depend upon donations and community support to maintain special services and excellence in care regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.
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It’s an all too common situation. A family is at the bedside of a loved one who is seriously ill and nearing the end of life. Each member of the family has a different idea of what should be done and what the patient would have wanted. A conversation about values and goals including hospice care, long before that moment, could have provided peace of mind and comfort to the patient and to the family. Please consider a discussion about hospice care as an option before a crisis hits. Lake Superior Hospice is proud to be one of your local hospices, serving the community since 1979, with care, compassion, and commitment. For more information, please visit our website at www.LakeSuperiorHospice.org or call 906-225-7760.
The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30 — 7C
PROGRESS2016 Windsong
Continued from 1C isnt even made in the United States. We try to do everything thats here, thats catered to U.P. things but are made here.” The store also offers clothing and accessories, particularly hats, Engle said, with U.P. and Lake Superior logos. “Thats one of our sayings around here, Weve got a hat for
that,” she said. “It doesnt matter what you need a hat for, or what you want, weve got a hat for that.” For more information, visit facebook.com/WindsongStudios or windsongstudiosmqt.com. Ryan Jarvi can be reached at 906-2282500, ext. 242. His email address is rjarvi@miningjournal.net.
Acting
Continued from 6C
pleasure doing it and enjoyment, and being around people and keeping active and interested in different things." The program is cosponsored by the Marquette Arts and Culture Center and the Marquette Senior Center. "We partner with arts and culture on quite a few ventures - the senior acting, the senior art classes and the senior art social," said Jane Palmer, coordinator for the senior center. "It just gives seniors in the community another opportunity to explore the arts." Palmer said classes like
Beginning Senior Acting aren't exactly a common thing in Upper Peninsula communities. "I think in the little bigger cities you're going to see more of it," she said. "But around here I think those opportunities are kind of few and far between." The Marquette Arts and Culture Center can be reached at 906-228-0472. The Marquette Senior Center can be reached at 906-228-0456. Ryan Jarvi can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is rjarvi@miningjournal.net.
Coping
Continued from 2C away. It's not catchy." Another crucial step to overcoming the stigma associated with mental illness, Bertucci said, involves fostering self-acceptance in people suffering from mental illness and compassion and empathy in others. "In order to get rid of the stigma, it has to go both ways," she said. "When you see someone or know someone that seems to be a little off, or maybe you know that they have an illness, walk a mile in their shoes. Step back, because when you see
somebody, you have no idea what their life is like.” She said people suffering from mental illness also have to understand their illness is a part of them, and to try not to be afraid or ashamed or embarrassed of talking about it with the right people. "Sometimes making yourself better is allowing other people to know what's wrong," she said. For more information, visit NAMI-Alger/Marquette online at www.namiam.org.
Tree of Life More than $3,000 raised for Superior Health Foundation Breast Fund By CHRISTIE BLECK Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — The bright pink tree by the Marquette Post Office has reached its goal, but the benefits should continue. Jim Reevs, publisher of The Mining Journal, in February presented a check for $3,162.53 to Jim LaJoie, executive director of the Superior Health Foundation, for breast cancer awareness. Marquette artist Earl Senchuk late in 2015 decided to create a fountain-like tree filled with pink ribbons, each symbolizing someone affected by breast cancer. People throughout the community donated $5 for each ribbon, and then received certificates showing the people honored or remembered. The Mining Journal took in the money and published the certificates in the newspaper. The tree eventually was filled with 695 ribbons, with Reevs presenting LaJoie the proceeds that will go toward the Superior Health Foundation Breast Fund. LaJoie said the foundation established that fund several years ago to provide philanthropic funding for men and women in the Upper Peninsula to help them with out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as mammograms, ultrasounds and travel. "There are a number of different things that simply are not covered fully through insurance," LaJoie said. "We wanted to be in a position to provide that type of funding, and it has been a hugely successful fund."
Marquette artist Earl Senchuck developed the project, seen above, with the help of students from Sandy Knoll Elementary School. Senchuck decided to create a fountain-like tree filled with pink ribbons symbolizing people affected by breast cancer. (Journal file photo)
He said people across the U.P. have taken advantage of and benefitted from the fund, such as Barb Schmitt, of Negaunee, who said she has lived with cancer for a long time. "It helped me pay some bills I had at Mayo Clinic and other expenses that come with not being able to work," Schmitt said. LaJoie also expressed gratitude to The Mining Journal for putting the project together as well as the community, calling it "a great concept" to put up a tree and honor the memory of loved ones affected by breast can-
cer and breast cancer issues. Senchuk said it was exciting to work on the tree, which involved students at Sandy Knoll Elementary School in Marquette who helped make the tree that was crafted in part with pink ribbons and steel rods. "I thoroughly enjoyed working with the kids," Senchuk said. Reevs said he was excited the community supported the Tree of Life as well as it did, adding it was gratifying to speak with Schmitt, a recipient of the funds. "We added the deal of
the aesthetics of the tree to the town and we hope everybody comes by and takes a look at it, and realizes that this is a real benefit to the community, and also appreciate the fact that people recognized people that had had cancer, whether it was breast cancer or another type, and did this to sponsor them," Reevs said. "And it was an excellent performance by the community, I think." Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.
Caring for the caregivers
Alzheimer’s group receives respite care scholarships
By CHRISTIE BLECK Journal Staff Writer MARQUETTE — No matter how well meaning a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's disease is, the best of intentions can lead to fatigue and burnout. To help those caregivers, the Alzheimer's Association-Greater Michigan Chapter, located at 309 S. Front St., Suite 233, received grants for seven respite care scholarships. The Plum Creek Foundation gave funds for five scholarships for all of the Upper Peninsula except for Gogebic and Keweenaw counties, while the Negaunee Area Community Fund of the Community Foundation of Marquette County donated money for two scholarships to be used for Negaunee and Negaunee Township residents. Lindsey Juricek, regional manager of the Alzheimer's AssociationGreater Michigan Chapter, said families receiving the scholarships will be reimbursed for $500. The purpose of the funds, she said, is to give the caregivers a needed break. Juricek said she knows of one situation in which a family member visits the home of another family member with the disease, not being aware of how much care was involved in taking care of
Lindsay Juricek, left, regional manager of the Alzheimer's Association-Greater Michigan Chapter, receives money for five respite care scholarships from Amber Oja, resource forester for Plum Creek who represented the Plum Creek Foundation. (Photo courtesy of the Alzheimer's Association-Greater Michigan Chapter)
that person. That led to one troubling incident. "So they allowed her to do things in the kitchen," Juricek said. "When they got home, there was a pan that was bright red, burning to the stove. The other family members weren't aware of how far in the disease she was and how much care she needed." She hopes the scholarships will give seven families in the U.P. a chance to receive a "timeout" to do what they need to do for self-care, such as going to the movies or out to dinner, and not have to worry about what's happening at home. By getting that needed self-care, Juricek
stressed, they then will become better caregivers. Eligibility requirements for the Respite Care Assistance program include: service being provided in the area where the person with dementia lives. the applicant providing the majority of care for that person. the caregiver not having previously received an RCA scholarship. Each $500 scholarship is for one time only and must be used to help pay for respite services, which include day programs, in-home care and overnight respite. Gail Anthony, chief operating officer of the
Community Fund of Marquette County, said typically grants from the fund are given for greater impact than what the respite scholarships would provide. However, because the need for this type of help is so great, funds were directed for the scholarships. Anthony acknowledged caring for someone with Alzheimer's differs from day care in that the older patients have more "learned skills" than children, putting them in more potentially dangerous situations — such as leaving a pan on the stove. "It takes special people that understand the disabilities of Alzheimer's patients to do that, and they're hard to find," Anthony said. Charlie Becker, Escanaba-based senior resource manager with Plum Creek, said its foundation has historically accepted grant requests related to the arts, communities, the environment and education. "The Alzheimer's Association-Greater Michigan performs an important function serving our U.P. communities," Becker said, "and the Plum Creek Foundation chose to support it." Juricek said that with the Plum Creek funding, if a family is getting respite care but they need safety support - like changing locks in the
house - money can be provided for that as well. She also appreciated the involvement of the community foundation, particularly because there are many families impacted by Alzheimer's in that region. "They really care about
the families in that area," Juricek said. The local office of the Alzheimers Association can be reached at 906228-3910. Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-2282500, ext. 250.
8C — The Mining Journal, Wednesday, March 30
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