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Charlotte

Charlotte

Featured Story

Smart food lockers, first of their kind in Michigan

Kelsey Klont
Contributing Writer

(Photo by Kelsey Klont/TCJ)

Food insecurity is not rare in today’s world; there is some level of food insecurity everywhere you look. In Eaton County 12.8% of its population, about 14,000 people, is subject to the challenges and stigma of food insecurity.

Our hard-working local food pantries are a great source for individuals and families who struggle with food insecurity, yet they are only open during daytime hours several days a week. So, they are not accessible for those who are not available during that time. Now there is a resource that can be of assistance anytime of the day or night.

Officially rolling out next month, new smart, refrigerated food lockers will serve as the newest resource providing food for those who face food insecurity issues. They will go hand-in-hand with the many people and projects working to feed local residents. These food lockers are stationed in front of the Primary Care Building of University of Michigan Health- Sparrow Eaton, located at 123 Lansing Street in Charlotte.

These smart, refrigerated food lockers are the first of their kind to be used for food security in the state of Michigan. With innovative new technology they are secure, helping to reduce the many barriers that face local residents who are in need of food. When an order is placed, residents can access a reserved locker by a code that will be sent via smart phone and can be entered into the kiosk during the scheduled time that works best within their schedule. Once entered the locker designated will open where their food items can be received.

This project of bringing these smart, refrigerated food lockers to Eaton County is a collaborative partnership between the new Eaton County Food Council; Eaton Community Health (ECH), a local independent nonprofit; Greater Lansing Food Bank; Capital Region Community Foundation; Barry- Eaton District Health Department; and University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Eaton.

Greater Lansing Food Bank and its local pantries will supply the food, while ECH will manage the program and set up local nonprofits as partners to refer residents to the program and help deliver food to lockers. Partners can order food for residents who do not have the resources themselves.

If someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, please encourage them to seek out assistance through the capable teams at local food pantries. Once the program rolls out, certain pantries can be a resource to connect the people who may need afterhours access to the smart food lockers. More information about how to participate in this program will be provided when the locker program officially rolls out in October. Information and updates about the lockers will be available on the ECH website at ech-eaton.org or by calling Kalli Dempsey at 517-652-3228.

Olivet

Olivet

Featured Story

Welcome Olivet Nutrition

Kelsey Klont
Contributing Writer

(Photo provided)

There is a new nutrition store in Olivet! Wendy Cornish, owner of Oriole Nutrition, has expanded her health drinks and products to Olivet having opened Olivet Nutrition.

Olivet Nutrition brings teabombs, protein shakes and coffees, and protein balls to local communities to provide customers with alternate and healthier drink options to help you along on your health journey.

“I had customers who would come from Olivet into Oriole Nutrition and who loved the teas and shakes so much, asking when I would come to Olivet.” Says Cornish on why she choose Olivet as her next location. When the opportunity came at the right time, Cornish took it and is now providing amazing teabombs and protein shakes to the Olivet area. Becoming a favorite amongst schoolteachers and college students, having been open only since July 24.

Wendy and her husband, Dwayne, are very outgoing people, always helping people where they can. Dwayne, served in the United States Marine Corps and having followed his service worked in the manufacturing industry for 20 years before helping his wife pursue her ambitions and goals with Oriole Nutrition and now Olivet Nutrition. Wendy worked in the pediatric field of the health industry for 34 years, where she was first introduced to children’s and sport health. Having that prior experience, she opened her first store as she is on a journey to help others with their own health journey.

Not only can you find energizing and healthy teabombs, that boost energy, burn calories, and support health digestion, as well as protein shakes. Olivet Nutrition has a weight loss group and a 21-day weight loss accountability group on the ‘We Do Transformation’ app.

‘Summertime’ teabomb and ‘death by chocolate’ shake have quickly become the favorites here at Olivet Nutrition. The menu here is the same menu that you can find at Oriole Nutrition, so whether your favorite is the watermelon crawl teabomb or peanut butter caramel pie protein shake, you can find it all along with the same outstanding customer care now at Olivet Nutrition.

The brand-new Olivet Nutrition is located at 205 N. Main St. where their hours of operation are Monday- Friday from 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Call or text them at 517-528-8366 to place your order ahead of time.

Bellevue

Bellevue

Featured Story

Bellevue 9/11 Memorial Challenge

Renee Sevenski
Contributing Writer

(Photo by Grandma With A Camera)

We all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers and the Pentagon were attacked, in addition to the heroic story of United Airlines Flight 93. The attacks killed 2,977 innocent people that day including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 police officers and 37 port authority police officers.

Stephen Siller, a fireman that had just completed his shift the morning of 9/11 and was off duty when the first tower was hit. He was on his way to the golf course to meet his brothers for a round of golf, something they rarely had the chance to all do together. He heard the call over the radio and turned his vehicle around to head back to his fire station. By the time he arrived back at the station his crew had already left on the call to the Twin Towers. He grabbed his gear from the firehouse and began driving towards the towers. Before Stephen was able to reach the towers, he was caught in a traffic jam caused by the chaos of the morning. Witnesses reported seeing a fireman get out of his truck caught in traffic and proceed to put on all his gear, and then began jogging through the traffic jam. Additional witnesses verified the story as they reported him running through the tunnels leading into Manhattan Island as he attempted to get to the towers to support his station. The tunnel he ran through was almost two miles by itself, and in total Stephen ran almost miles miles in his full gear so that he could help others. Unfortunately, Stephen never made it out of the towers that morning and he is remembered through this incredible organization. “Tunnel to Towers” was created by his brothers to honor his memory. They host an annual run through New York City each year, jogging the exact route Stephen took that fateful morning. With the money they raise each year they help families impacted by the events of 9/11, in addition to military veterans in need.

Danny Brininstool, a Bellevue teacher started the Bellevue 9/11 Memorial Challenge in 2023. He would have his students participate in climbing the bleachers a few times and check their heart rate. Then they would discuss how firefighters in full gear and helping people down flights of stairs would have felt. The students asked last year, “Why don’t we do this for real and climb the level of stairs they would’ve climbed?” Quite an extraordinary question coming from students that 23 years ago did not exist. With the help of the Bellevue Fire Department Danny put the challenge in action. His challenge now is to make The Bellevue 9/11 Memorial Challenge not only community wide, but his hope is that other schools would adopt the memorial in a way to honor and remember all those firefighters, police officers, and emergency service personnel that sacrificed it all on that fateful morning.

The Challenge starts with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. in honor of all fallen heroes from 23 years ago. The students are given the choice of three activities: Climb up and down the entire length of the bleachers-24 laps in total nearly 2,200 steps the equivalent of the 110 stories of the Twin Towers. Option two is to walk four miles on the track. This option is to remember Stephen Siller that ran through the closed NYC tunnels to get to the Towers. The remaining option was to watch a 9/11 remembrance movie and discuss the impact of that day. Each student chose a badge with the name of a fallen first responder to carry that badge to the finish line.

Brininstool will continue this Challenge every year with hopes of growing the donations that go to the Tunnel to Towers Organization and that other schools start their challenge and keep the ongoing reminder to recognize all first responders. “The Kids exceeded our expectations with their participation and the sense of honor that they approached this with, and we couldn’t be more proud of how well they represented the community of Bellevue. It was one of my proudest moments I’ve ever been a part of during my time in education,” shared Brininstool.

Quoted from J. Steele, a Bellevue Firefighter that participated in the 2024 Challenge, “It is Incredible to see the kids push through and give it all they have.”
“it is inspiring to see the impact on the students and how well behaved and respectful each student was,”said M Flood,  Bellevue Firefighter.

Eaton County

Eaton County

Featured Story

Bellevue 9/11 Memorial Challenge

Renee Sevenski
Contributing Writer

(Photo by Grandma With A Camera)

We all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers and the Pentagon were attacked, in addition to the heroic story of United Airlines Flight 93. The attacks killed 2,977 innocent people that day including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 police officers and 37 port authority police officers.

Stephen Siller, a fireman that had just completed his shift the morning of 9/11 and was off duty when the first tower was hit. He was on his way to the golf course to meet his brothers for a round of golf, something they rarely had the chance to all do together. He heard the call over the radio and turned his vehicle around to head back to his fire station. By the time he arrived back at the station his crew had already left on the call to the Twin Towers. He grabbed his gear from the firehouse and began driving towards the towers. Before Stephen was able to reach the towers, he was caught in a traffic jam caused by the chaos of the morning. Witnesses reported seeing a fireman get out of his truck caught in traffic and proceed to put on all his gear, and then began jogging through the traffic jam. Additional witnesses verified the story as they reported him running through the tunnels leading into Manhattan Island as he attempted to get to the towers to support his station. The tunnel he ran through was almost two miles by itself, and in total Stephen ran almost miles miles in his full gear so that he could help others. Unfortunately, Stephen never made it out of the towers that morning and he is remembered through this incredible organization. “Tunnel to Towers” was created by his brothers to honor his memory. They host an annual run through New York City each year, jogging the exact route Stephen took that fateful morning. With the money they raise each year they help families impacted by the events of 9/11, in addition to military veterans in need.

Danny Brininstool, a Bellevue teacher started the Bellevue 9/11 Memorial Challenge in 2023. He would have his students participate in climbing the bleachers a few times and check their heart rate. Then they would discuss how firefighters in full gear and helping people down flights of stairs would have felt. The students asked last year, “Why don’t we do this for real and climb the level of stairs they would’ve climbed?” Quite an extraordinary question coming from students that 23 years ago did not exist. With the help of the Bellevue Fire Department Danny put the challenge in action. His challenge now is to make The Bellevue 9/11 Memorial Challenge not only community wide, but his hope is that other schools would adopt the memorial in a way to honor and remember all those firefighters, police officers, and emergency service personnel that sacrificed it all on that fateful morning.

The Challenge starts with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. in honor of all fallen heroes from 23 years ago. The students are given the choice of three activities: Climb up and down the entire length of the bleachers-24 laps in total nearly 2,200 steps the equivalent of the 110 stories of the Twin Towers. Option two is to walk four miles on the track. This option is to remember Stephen Siller that ran through the closed NYC tunnels to get to the Towers. The remaining option was to watch a 9/11 remembrance movie and discuss the impact of that day. Each student chose a badge with the name of a fallen first responder to carry that badge to the finish line.

Brininstool will continue this Challenge every year with hopes of growing the donations that go to the Tunnel to Towers Organization and that other schools start their challenge and keep the ongoing reminder to recognize all first responders. “The Kids exceeded our expectations with their participation and the sense of honor that they approached this with, and we couldn’t be more proud of how well they represented the community of Bellevue. It was one of my proudest moments I’ve ever been a part of during my time in education,” shared Brininstool.

Quoted from J. Steele, a Bellevue Firefighter that participated in the 2024 Challenge, “It is Incredible to see the kids push through and give it all they have.”
“it is inspiring to see the impact on the students and how well behaved and respectful each student was,”said M Flood,  Bellevue Firefighter.

Vermontville

Vermontville

Featured Story

A Neighborhood Garden Growing the Community

Stacy N. Holbrook
Contributing Writer

(Photo Provided)

What happens when a community comes together to encourage a healthier life style, a better social environment and building community connections? We have a community that is a happier, healthier, and more content. Commissioner Mike Callton (Chiropractor, County Commissioner of the Nashville and Woodland areas, former Michigan House Representatives, former Vice-Chair of the House Health Policy Committee, member of the Insurance Policy Committee and the House of Military, Veterans’ Affairs and Homeland Security Committee), and Commissioner/Blue Zones Executive Director Catherine Getty (Berry County Commissioner District 2, Executive Director of Blue Zones Activate Barry County, formerly the Planning and Zoning Administrator for Thornapple Township); along with Dillon Catlett and about 15 other residents of Nashville, Michigan have formed a group of neighbors entering the Blue Zone.

Just what is the Blue Zone? Over 20 years of research and identification of the world’s longest-lived and happiest populations, which live clean and healthy.

Commissioner Mike Callton and Blue Zones Executive Director/Commissioner Catherine Getty, introduced an idea to create a plan for social connections, better health, and improved life. Presenting this idea to the village committee, the proposal involved finding a piece of ground, funding, and planting a neighborhood garden. People of the community are encouraged to get involved in maintaining the garden and everyone will benefit with fresh fruits and vegetables. Mike, Catherine and Dillon have met many neighbors, and enjoyed the social connection getting to know them.

With the help of the Blue Zone committee, The BCC Foundation, MSU Extension, Farm Bureau and the Food Pantry, these neighbors are learning to live healthy, work together for the same goal and provide services to the community. The Blue Zones have provided great leadership, directing this small group to the right connections.

he Garden is fenced in to keep wildlife out, it has raised plant beds with green beans, strawberries, pumpkins, melons, peppers (both sweet and hot), marigolds, herbs and sunflowers. Mike has left his phone on a post in front of the garden for anyone that may want to contribute to this project, either by funds or labor.

They are very excited with the progress of the garden and all the people that are becoming involved. When the produce starts coming off the garden, they already have a plan for harvesting, fair distribution and they are excited to be able to share some of the bounty with the local food bank.

Catherine shared, “Delton County School and community started this idea of a community garden and has sense inspired two other communities, Johnstown and Nashville, to start a garden in their towns/villages. These programs provide fresh produce, social connections, and longer, healthier lives.” Mike Shared the planning map provided by the MSU Extension and encourages other communities to have “Neighborhood Gardens” where a community can grow together with an attitude of gratitude.

Watch for more inspiring news about Nashville, MI as they share the growth in their community

Potterville

Potterville

Featured Story

Potterville football staying busy this summer

Ben Murphy
Contributing Writer

The official start of the high school football season isn’t until August, but that hasn’t stopped the Potterville football team from working hard this summer, preparing for things to come. The Vikings have been busy with summer workouts and are training hard for an upcoming camp and of course their first live action in August.

“It’s going good,” head coach Jason Baker said. “What we do is hard, we put them through a lot, we expect a lot out of them, and we have a lot of potential there this season to be competitive in a lot of games that Potterville hasn’t been competitive in historically. We have a pretty unique opportunity to change that this year. We aren’t going to win every game, but there’s games we will win that the school hasn’t won the last 14-to-15 years.”

The Vikings played a mix of varsity and junior varsity games last fall due to their youthful roster. Jump ahead to this season and the team plans to play a full varsity schedule; with a complete slate of Central Michigan Athletic Conference games.

“Aside from beating Saranac in 2020, that was the last real CMAC win that they had, but I feel like we can change that this year if the boys continue to work hard and we develop as a team like we did last year,” Baker said. “There’s a lot of excitement with what we were able to do and we just have to build on that and keep moving forward.”

Potterville opens the season with three straight home games: opening with Maple Valley and then taking on Dansville and then Bath.
Maple Valley has a new head coach and is also making a transition back from 8-player to 11-player football this fall.

“They will be a challenging match-up for us, we don’t know what their offense will look like or their defense,” Baker said of their week one foes. “It will be interesting, but we will do our best to scout and we will see what we can find out about them.”

Their week three home match-up against Bath will double as their military appreciation night. They’ll have special uniforms and paint markings on the field; but that’s just scratching the surface for what they have planned.

“We are trying to get as many active duty and retired military members there as possible, so we can say thank you,” Baker said. “We have a lot of things that we are doing to try and show our appreciation for the military. There’s a lot of excitement for that this year.”

Baker is also hoping to have his hand in more than just football at Potterville. With three open spots on the school board, he is throwing his hat in for that role too.

“Ultimately, I just want what is best for the school,” he said. “I’ve invested a lot of time and resources into improving the school and I want to make sure that the district is in the best situation moving forward. There has been a lot of negative press on the school board recently, and I want to get rid of that… We don’t have to agree on every topic but we have to be rational with things and do what is best for the district and not having our personal agendas in there. Ultimately the education of the students is what is most important.”

As for the football season, they’ll take some time off in early July and then it is all systems go.

“We take a week off for the Fourth of July and then we go back to our three day a week schedule with weightlifting and conditioning,” Baker said. “We are excited, but conditioning wise we have to be ready to go, we have to be ready to play a full game of football.”

Eaton Rapids

Eaton Rapids

Featured Story

A step back through history

Stacy Holbrook
Contributing Writer

(Photo Provided)

Introducing: The Grand Army of the Republic James Brainerd Post 111 Memorial Hall and Museum. Come help them celebrate their 11th Anniversary, see artifacts from the era (artifacts are donated and on loan to the museum). and walk in the footsteps of Civil War Veterans. September 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 224 S. Main St., Eaton Rapids.

Step back in time to the end of the Civil War. It’s 1866 and Veterans were coming home with missing limbs and emotional issues after four years of war. At this time in American History there was virtually no help for Veterans, no assistance programs for these men.

In Decatur, IL, in 1866 the Grand Army was formed by Benjamin Stephenson. They organized fundraisers to assist families the had suffered losses during the war, formed orphanages and helped support these Veterans that could no longer perform the work they did before the war.

Over the years the Grand Army grew to an enormous organization with over 400 Posts in Michigan alone. To join the Grand Army, you had to be an honorably discharged Union Veteran, of which about 20% of Veterans actually became members. They held regular meetings locally in meeting halls like the one in Eaton Rapids, store fronts and even Veteran’s living rooms if the post was small enough. There were annual encampments statewide and nationwide. The 1911 encampment in Detroit filled every hotel room in the city and the Veterans stayed in people’s homes The G.A.R. was also the first Veteran’s organization that was integrated and allowed black and American Indian Veterans to join.

G.A.R. Posts from Eaton County and one from Calhoun County would hold a yearly weeklong meeting in Eaton Rapids, on the island each August. They became known as the Eaton County Battalion. To memorialize this the Museum holds a Civil War Discovery Camp each August and has done so since 2015. Kids from 8-14 years old are shown the soldier’s drill, food, medicine and get a tour of the museum and “paid” for their service with real fake 1800’s money. To help educate further they have a mobile display that has been seen at Greenfield Village, the Curwood Festival in Owosso, the Jackson Civil War Muster and more!

In 1959 the last Civil War Veteran passed away, ending the Grand Army. The Women’s Relief Corp and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War are two of the five Allied Orders created by the G.A.R. and to this day continue with the legacy of these Veterans.

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