March 3 2016 The Pulse

March 3, 2016 www.centralmichiganpulse.com Vol. 2, No. 9

FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS ON PAGE FOUR

MT. PLEASANT | COMMUNITY | NEWS | SPORTS | EVENTS | INFORMATION

MPHS Freshman Wins Pitch-Er This (page 16) Coffee Has A Story (page 26)

MPHS Hockey Defeats Tri-Valley on Senior Night (page 32)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS ThePulse2

UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS

March 3rd12p - Soup & Substance - Women’s History Month @ Bovee Terrace Rooms

4p - Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Mtg @ City Hall7p - Mt. Pleasant Planning Commission Meeting

7:30p - University Band @ Staples Family Concert Hall

March 4th4p - 3rd Annual Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser - Zion Lutheran Church

5p - 4th Annual Glow Night @ Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum6p - Family Fun Night @ Morey Courts

7:30p - MPHS Presents ‘Big Fish @ MPPS Performing Arts Center8p - Tracy Morgan @ Soaring Eagle

March 5th8a - 3rd Annual Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser - Zion Lutheran Church

5:30p - Morey Montessori - A Night of “Pastabilities” 7:30p - MPHS Presents ‘Big Fish @ MPPS Performing Arts Center

March 6th 3p - The Jordan World Circus @ Finch Fieldhouse

March 7th6:30p - Mt. Pleasant Board of Ed Comm of the Whole Mtg @ 720 N. Kinney

March 8th8th - Michigan Primary Election Voting Day

4p - Union Twp Sustainability Mtg5:30p - Mt. Pleasant City Commission Special Meeting for goal setting discussion

7p - Chop and Chat: Chicken 101 @ The Market on Main

March 9th9th - Shirley Brauker Exhibit opens @ Art Reach

7p - Union Twp Board of Trustees Mtg8p - Open Mic @ Rubble’s

March 10th10th-12th - 2016 Native American Critical Issues Conference

6p - Isabella County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited fundraising Banquet @ Bucks Run

March 11th11th - Second Friday Downtown Event with Helios & Art Reach Exhibits

3p - CMU Women’s Lacrosse v. Delaware State6p - Mt. Pleasant YPN Bowling Social Night @ Riverwood

Email your event for The Pulse’s community calendar to [email protected].

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3ThePulse

9p - Foolish Dreams @ Hunter’s Ale House

March 12th6:30p - Girls on the Run Reverse Raffle @ Shepherd Bar & Restaurant

8p - David Bowie Tribute Night @ Rubble’s

March 13th2a - Daylight Savings Time Begins

12p - UUFCM Common Read: The New Jim Crow @ UUFCM (319 S. University)1p - CMU Women’s Lacrosse v. VCU

9a - Winter Warriors The Muddogs half/10k/5k starts at O’Kellys

March 14th7p - Mt. Pleasant City Commission Mtg

8p - J. R. Knott @ Rubble’s

March 15th4p; 7p - Isabella County Commission work session; board meeting @ County Building

5:15p - Union Twp EDA Mtg6p - ‘Neville’s Noodles’ - CMU Quidditch Club’s 1st Annual Fundraiser dinner @ Wesley

7p - Union Twp Planning Commission Mtg

March 16th7a - Community Cholesterol Screening @ McLaren

5p - Business After Hours @ Hunter’s Ale House5:30p - MPRR St. Patrick’s Fun Run @ Runners Athletic Company

6p - Baby Basics Class @ McLaren8p - American Music Revival @ CMU

March 17th5p - Band-O-Rama @ MPHS Auditorium

7p - Clarke Speaker Series-Paul Johnson @ Park Auditorium 8p - Death of a Blackheart @ Soaring Eagle

March 18th7:30p - Opera: Puccini Suor Angelica & Debussy L’enfant Prodigue @ Staples Family Concert Hall

March 19th19th & 20th - 27th Annual CMU ‘Celebrating Life’ POW WOW @ McGuirk Arena7:30a - CMU Running Club’s Shamrock Shuffle 5K @ CMU Anspach/Pearce Halls

9a - Build a Bird House Event @ Nelson Park10a - Kids and Culture @ Ziibiwing Cultural Center

7p - Sportsmans 2016 Cabin Fever Auction @ Shepherd Bar8:30p - Secret Grief wsg Moses and Hot Mulligan @ The 906

9p - Jedi Mind Trip @ Hunter’s Ale House

View the The Pulse’s complete community calendar at www.centralmichiganpulse.com.

PAGE FOUR ThePulse4

The Pulse

The Pulse is published weekly digitally on Thursdays.Article & Ad Deadline: Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m.

Editor/Publisher : S. R. Covieo

Email us at: [email protected]

Mt. Pleasant’s Community-Sourced News

Central Michigan Pulse, llc623 E. BroadwayMt. Pleasant, MI 48858Phone (989) 444-9121

Mailing address: P.O. Box 674Mt. Pleasant, MI 48804

www.centralmichiganpulse.com

(989) 224-1500Appointment only

Trusted. Insightful. Experienced.

• Business• Estate Planning• Probate• Real Estate

(989) 317-9600

[email protected]

64649 Sign.indd 1 9/23/2015 4:06:29 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS The Pulse’s Mt. Pleasant Postcard Seriesis now on sale atThe Book Shelf

(1014 S. Mission)Historical and Modern Day ImagesCALENDAR OF EVENTS Page 2

AROUND TOWN Page 5CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT Page 18POLITICS Page 20THE ARTS Page 22STATE NEWS Page 25COFFEE STORY Page 26ASTROLOGY Page 30SPORTS Page 32FLIERS Page 36INFO PAGES Page 38ENTERTAINMENT Page 41OUTDOORS Page 44CROSSWORD Page 48COMICS Page 49BACK PAGE Page 52

MONTHLY AD PRICES

Business Card ads - $25 / month(3.15” W x 1.8” H)

1/4 page ads - $50 / month (3.85” W x 5” H)

1/2 page ads - $100 / month (7.75” W x 5” H)

Front pg Banner ads - $150 /mth (7.75” W x 2” H)

Full page ads - $200 / month (7.75” W x 10.25” H)

AROUND TOWN 5ThePulse

Start Smart Tee-Ball Registration for Spring 2016 is Now Open

for Kids Ages 3 to 5

Batter up! The Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreation and Start

Smart™ Tee-Ball registration is open for girls and boys, ages 3-5.

Start Smart™ Tee-Ball is a six-week program designed

to teach the fundamentals of baseball through tee-ball. The program uses innovative and safe sports technology to assist parents in developing their children’s skills such as throwing, catching and batting.

As part of the Start Smart™ program, emphasis is

placed on children’s development of basic motor skills and good sportsmanship necessary to achieve success and confidence for a lifetime of physical activity.

Start Smart™ Tee-Ball meets once a week. Choose

from four sections that meet on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 7 or Wednesdays, May 4 to June 8 from 5:30-6:20 p.m. or 6:30-7:20 p.m.

The cost is $40 for city residents and $55 for non-res-

idents. Register by April 12 to save $10. Sign up online at www.mt-pleasant.org/recreation or at the Mt. Pleas-ant Parks & Recreation office at 320 W. Broadway. The registration deadline is April 26. Space is limited.

Hop your way to Finch Fieldhouse for the Great Egg Scramble. This free event is on Saturday, March 26 and the celebration begins at 12:30 p.m. Canned goods will be collected and proceeds benefit the Isabella Commu-nity Soup Kitchen.

In addition to scrambling for plastic eggs, candy and

prizes, youth ages 2-10 will enjoy crafts, games, inflat-able obstacle courses, refreshments and the opportunity to meet Peter Cottontail.

Rain or shine, you don’t want to miss out on the fun

and festivities! Scramble times are scheduled by age group: 2-3 year olds at 1:00 p.m., 4-5 year olds at 2:00 p.m., 6-7 year olds at 2:30 p.m., and 8-10 year olds at 3:00 p.m.

The Great Egg Scramble is made possible by Mt.

Pleasant Parks and Recreation and 95.3 WCFX. Call (989) 779-5331 or visit the parks and recreation

website at www.mt-pleasant.org/recreation for more information.

The Great Egg Scramble is Scheduled for March 26th

at Finch Fieldhouse

MARCH 2016 ThePulse6

We celebrate March is Reading Month and then Spring in to Action with a great program for all ages. There are lots of events all month long and there is always something for everyone. Here’s a look at this month’s event calendar. All events are free but registration is required for some events.

Chippewa River District Library Systems serves portions of Isabella County and the City of Mount Pleasant. Don’t have time to stop by? Download free books, movies and more by visiting www.crdl.org. Like us on Facebook for program reminders, fun photos and book news.

For Everyone The BubblemanMarch 5, 1 p.m., Veterans Memorial LibrarySee Ron Lloyd, “The Bubbleman,” create big bubbles, square bubbles, caterpillar bubbles, merry-go-round bubbles and so much more. The Bubbleman will demonstrate how to make bubbles and share his secrets with the audience. Food & Flicks for FamiliesEnjoy the featured food with us before the movie begins, then pay attention throughout the movie. If you can tell us what scene the food was in you could win a prize! March 6, 2 p.m., Faith Johnston Memorial Li-brary Pinocchio (G) March 12, 12 p.m., Tate Memorial LibraryHercules (G) March 13, 1 p.m., Fremont Township LibraryWinnie the Pooh (G)

Spring into ActionMarch 19, 12 p.m., Veterans Memorial LibraryJoin us at the library for quick instructionals and how-to’s for a variety of topics. Learn basic cat care, stretching your budget, learn to knit, try Disc Golf plus a whole lot more.

Dora the Explorer Adventure CelebrationMarch 24, 11 a.m., Veterans Memorial LibraryBe an explorer, find things, make things and just have fun at the Dora the Explorer Adven-ture Celebration! Check out all of the explorer activities like helping Boots find his boots, help the animal friends find their beds and make it through the adventure trail of fun. Dora will also be available for photo opportunities!

Adults

Hot Reads for Cold NightsThrough March 7, All CRDL branchesRead or listen to six books of your choice and receive a coffee mug for your participation. Completion of the log also gets participants registered for the grand prize drawing! Reading logs can be picked up at all CRDL locations. COA IPad WorkshopMarch 15, 2 p.m., Commission on AgingPhotos II - A continuation of last month’s in-struction. We will move through more features of this app, such as photo enhancement, adjust-ments and photo and video extensions. Brown Bag Book Discussion GroupMarch 16, noon, Veterans Memorial LibraryPack your lunch and join us as we discuss Coin-cidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert.

LIBRARY CALENDARThePulse 7

Teens

Teen TuesdayMarch 1, 6 p.m., Faith Johnston Mem. LibraryJoin us for an opportunity to kick back and relax with your friends! We’ll provide the snacks and activities...you eat and have fun. For stu-dents in grades 6-12.

Create It!March 8, 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial LibraryMarch 15, 6 p.m., Shepherd Comm. LibraryJoin us as we break out the fuse beads, build with LEGO bricks, make marble mazes and more! Let your imagination run wild as we cre-ate together. For students in grades 7-12.

Pizza and PagesMarch 22, 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial LibraryJoin us as we present the books on the 2016 March Book Madness bracket. Teens all over the world will be voting for their favorite reads. Sit back, relax and enjoy some pizza while we discuss which popular titles reign supreme. For students in grades 7-12.

Fun for Kids

Reading with the Tale-WaggersMarch 9, 16 & 23, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m., VMLThe Tale-Waggers have worked for more than 9 years to improve the literacy skills of the children in our community through the use of certified therapy dogs as literacy mentors. Any child who wants to have fun reading with the dogs is accepted, as well as those who are strug-gling with reading skills and self-confidence. Reading sessions are limited. Registration is required.

Hour of CodeMarch 10, 4 p.m., Veterans Memorial LibraryLove computer games and want to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes? Join us for an hour of code to learn what it takes to program these games. Registration required. Grades 4 - 8 LEGO ClubMarch 17, 6 p.m., Veterans Memorial LibraryGet yourself out of the mid-winter rut and get creative! Join us for a LEGO build where you can use our bricks or bring your own. For ages 2 - 12. Toddler Time, Ages 10 - 24 monthsMondays, 9:30 a.m., Veterans Memorial Library Wigglers Story Time, Ages 2 – 3 yearsMondays, 10:15 a.m., VML Family Story Time, ages 0 – 5 yearsWednesdays, 11 a.m., Faith Johnston Mem. Lib.Thursdays, 10:15 a.m., VML Music and Movement, ages 0 – 5 yearsMarch 4 & 18, 10:15 a.m., Faith Johnston Me-morial LibraryMarch 11 & 25, 10:15 a.m., VML Create, Make & Take, after school crafts and funEvery Wednesday, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Shepherd Community LibraryEvery Thursday, 5 – 6 p.m., Faith Johnston Me-morial LibraryMarch 17, 4 – 5 p.m., Fremont Township Lib. Tales and Tunes, ages 0 – 5 yearsEvery Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., Shepherd Com-munity Library

AROUND TOWN ThePulse8

Spay-Neuter Animal Project Hosts 3rd Annual Fundraiser at Riverwood

The Spay-Neuter Animal Project (S-NAP) Ladies pose at the entrance to this year’s annual fundraiser (From L to R): Michelle Schwarck, Deb Gascho, Joy Simmer, Marchien Johnston, Brandi Mitchell, Jessica Jackson, Melissa Miller.

The Spay-Neuter Animal Project (S-NAP) is a non-profit dedicated to reducing pet over-population.

S-NAP helps to spay and neuter companion and feral animals.

Established in 2010, S-NAP held their 3rd annual fundraiser at Riverwood this week.

Last year the event raised around $2,500, and they were hoping to see similar results this year.

For more information visit http://www.s-nap.org/

Pet food donations can be dropped off locally at Redbird Pet Emporium, 1235 N. Mission (the Secretary of State Plaza).

AROUND TOWNThePulse 9

Dr. Seuss Birthday Party at VML

By ELISE HUBEL

Children of all ages came to the Veterans Memorial Library Sunday to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Parents and chil-dren were lined up outside the door before the library opened to get into the birthday celebration.

The birthday party contained refresh-ments for the children as well as activities for them to participate in.

Numerous stations were set up through-out the children’s area of the library. Each station was based on a popular book by Dr. Seuss and included an activity. Chil-dren were able to color, play bingo, and participate in silly activities.

One station had the children put on oversized foam feet and see how far they could walk. This station referred to The Foot Book.


MMCC Foundation’s 15th Annual Fundraiser Set for April 24th at Jay’s

MMCC Foundation Selects this Year’s Featured Artist for A Northern Tradition Tickets are now available for the Mid Michigan Community College Foundation’s annual fundraiser – A Northern Tradi-tion. The fifteenth annual event will be held from 6-9pm on April 24th at Jay’s Sporting Goods in Clare. This year’s commemorative print is by Betty Chaffee Bon-ham. Bonham trained at the Kendall School of Design in Grand Rapids, but decided to make her home and her art in Clare, MI instead of a metropolitan area. Though she has spent over 40 years in commercial design work, particularly in signage and promotions, she prides herself on bringing her creative and artistic passion into all of her projects. She has presented her original pencil

renderings at various art fairs throughout Michigan, but she enjoys work-ing with a number of other art mediums as well. A numbered and signed print of Bonham’s original oil painting, “Tiny Wonderment,” will be exclusive to ticket holders at A Northern Tradition. “I was inspired by how beautiful and feisty hummingbirds are, and I wanted to capture their various personalities in my collage,” noted Bon-ham. “They’re intriguing birds—suddenly appearing, gracefully sus-pending themselves on the air, and then darting off as quickly as they appeared.” Last year, more than 800 people attended A Northern Tradition, allowing the MMCC Foundation to raise nearly $100,000 for the college and its students. More than $1.3 million has been raised by this event since it began. For a $50 ticket, each attendee receives a $25 gift certificate to Jay’s Sport-ing goods, Bonham’s exclusive art print, and a chance to win a $1,000 gift certificate to Jay’s. About fourteen area restaurants will serve free food. A number of interesting demonstrators and special guest Gary Hogeboom, former NFL and CMU quarterback, will make it an evening to remember. The MMCC Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to en-hance Mid Michigan Community College’s services to its students and the community through fund development, scholarships, program devel-opment, and improved facilities.

For additional information about the 2016 A Northern Tradition, contact

Matt Miller at 989.386.6600.

AROUND TOWNThePulse 11

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONSJUST $35 / YR.

http://www.centralmichiganpulse.com/store/p19/Digital_Subscription_-_1_Year.html

SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS! - SUPPORT THE PULSE!Send checks payable to The Pulse to P.O. Box 674 Mt. Pleasant MI 48804

Sport Clips Opening March 8th

Sport Clips will offer:

-Haircut services, including the “MVP Expe-rience” that features a precision haircut, mas-saging shampoo, hot steamed towel treatment, and neck and shoulder massage-Stylists who specialize in hair care for men and boys and stay up-to-date on trends-Large, flat-screen televisions playing sports programming at each haircut station and in the lobby-Special lighting and massaging chairs in the shampoo area-No appointments. All haircut services are provided to walk-ins only.

Sport Clips in Mt. Pleasant will also provide free “MVP upgrades,” including a massaging shampoo, hot steamed towel treatment, and neck and shoulder massage, to all first-time clients who purchase a haircut service.

Hours of operation will be Monday-Friday 9:00-8:00 PM, Saturdays 9:00-6:00 PM and Sundays 11:00-5:00 PM.

Sport Clips Haircuts, the nation’s largest fran-chise dedicated to men’s and boys’ hair care, will open Tuesday, March 8 in the Union Shoppes Plaza at 4559 E. Bluegrass Road, near Menards and next to Runners.

“Sport Clips offers our clients the expertise of well-trained stylists in a fun, casual environment where they can enjoy watching sports on TV during their haircut. We’re looking forward to introducing clients to our services and distinctive experience,” said Rick and Nancy Ohle, owners of the new Sport Clips.

“We’re proud to make it a part of the Mt. Pleas-ant community. As part of our commitment to the community, we intend to partner with and support youth sports and other non-profit orga-nizations. During our grand opening celebration, we will encourage clients to make donations to United Way.”


7th Annual Cinderella’s Closet Held at Wesley

By: ELISE HUBEL

The 7th annual Cinderella’s Closet was held Saturday at Wesley. Hosted by the soror-ity Phi Sigma Sigma, Cin-derella’s Closet is an event that allows local girls to buy formal wear dresses at dis-count prices.

The items sold are all do-nated to the event. Active members of Phi Sigma Sigma, sorority alum, and community members all do-nate previously used formal dresses to the event.

All dresses sold at Cinder-ella’s Closet cost $19.13. The hosting sorority was found-ed in the year 1913, prompt-ing the decision in cost.

The event also sells shoes, jewelry, and other accesso-ries for a fraction of their original cost.

Cinderella’s Closet takes place in the spring of each year.

This year’s event raised over $750 for the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation.

CMU is an AA/EO institution (see www.cmich.edu/aaeo).

PanelistsSen. David Knezek District 5, Michigan Senate Sponsored bill to repeal Financial Manager Act

Rep. Al PscholkaDistrict 79, Michigan House of Representatives Sponsor of Emergency Financial Manager Act

Brian J. WhistonState Superintendent, Michigan Department of Education

Griffin Policy ForumSpring 2016

Emergency Financial Managers . . .Do They Have a Legitimate Place in Michigan Government?

chsbs.cmich.edu/griffin

March 21st

7 p.m. Powers Hall Ballroom

Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government

Detroit News reporter Chad Livengood will moderate a discussion with a panel of informed, influential and passionate players in the fight to determine the current and future use of Emergency Financial Mangers to solve economic problems with local units of government.Open to the public.

ModeratorChad LivengoodPolitical Reporter, The Detroit News


Erin Smith-Gaken Joins MPACF BoardMt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation (MPACF) welcomes Erin Smith-Gaken, 31, as one of the youngest

directors to join the MPACF Board of Trustees. The newly-appointed Smith-Gaken, who has served as an adult member of MPACF’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) since 2012, began her tenure Jan. 1 of this year. Smith-Gaken brings professional experience to her new role, as she is the assistant director of Recruitment and Enrollment at Central Michigan University’s College of Education and Human Services.

“I am looking forward to this opportunity in order to increase my involvement within the community and impacting individuals within Isabella County,” she said. In addition to Smith-Gaken, Lon Morey and Janet Maar Strickler return to the MPACF board after a one-year hiatus.

MPACF seeks to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County, now and for generations to come, by holding and attracting permanent endowed funds from a wide range of donors, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

Learn more at mpacf.org.

Beal City seventh grader Faith Schuch is one of fifteen finalists for the Champion brand 5th Annual ‘Search For a Champion’ Advanced Grand Prize of $50,000. You can help Faith by clicking on the following link and voting for her once a day from now until March 23rd.

It’s easy to vote - just click on the following link, sign up to vote, then add your personal info, then find Faith in the advanced division - click on her photo then vote. Photo courtesy ‘Search For a Champion’ web-site.

Click & vote: http://sfac.championautoparts.com/search-for-a-champion/view/3266/#.VtZMMfkrJD9


MPPS 2016 Kindergarten Kick-Off Dates


MPHS freshman Taylor Idema wins United Way Pitch-Er This Competition

By SAM VILLARREAL

Mount Pleasant High School freshman Taylor Idema won the “Pitch-Er This” competition on Friday, Feb-ruary 27, 2016. With the help of her coach, Elaina Molter, Idema’s winning pitch to build an amphitheater in Island Park beat out six other groups.

The competition was created by the United Way of Isabella County’s President and CEO Thomas Olver and five Central Michigan University college of medicine students who were looking for volunteer hours; Gabrielle Baringer, Josh Forsyth, Stephanie Iken, Elaina Molter, and Sean Mathers.

The goal of the competition was for students within Isabella County to use their imagination to come up with an idea that the community would benefit from. Seven groups presented their ideas to the judges and an audience in the Health Professions building on CMU’s campus. Among the judges were Amanda Scha-fer (Executive Director of the Mount Pleasant Area Community Foundation), George E. Ross (President of Central Michigan University), Jim Holton (Mount Pleasant City Commissioner, Owner of Mountain Town and Camille’s on the River), Lisa Hadden (Executive Director of the Mid Central Regional Area Health Education Center, and Thomas Olver.

Students had five to seven minutes to present their ideas and then were able to answer any questions the judges had about their projects. 80 percent of their final score came from the panel and 20 percent came from the audience voting for their favorite group.

Among the presentations was a 5k walk/run paired with a healthy cooking class to advocate health and wellness. This idea was put together by Sacred Heart sophomores Ayesha Mohan, Hadyn Terwilliger, Mag-gie Yonker, Nick Zeien and their coach, Gabrielle Barringer.

Beal City High School Ethan Schafer and Hannah Steffke worked with their coach, Nick Reynolds, to come up with a plan to help raise money for music classes and programs within Isabella County. The name of their project was adequately titled “Band Together.”

An idea for a smart phone app to connect students with tutors all over the state of Michigan was present-ed by Mount Pleasant High School sophomores Allyson Bishop, RJ Araway, Michael Censa, and junior Jessica Araway. With the help of coach Sean Masters, the app was planned to not only help students excel in their coursework, but would also benefit college students within the education program in their teaching training.

Pitch-Er This winner Taylor Idema with judges (L to R): CMU President George E. Ross, City Commissioner Jim Holton, Local A-HEC Executive Director Lisa Hadden, MPACF Executive Director Amanda Schafer, and United Way of Isabel-la County’s President and CEO Tom Olver.

Photo: Elise Hubel


MPHS freshman Taylor Idema wins United Way Pitch-Er This CompetitionThree seniors from Mount Pleasant High

School worked with Darryll Stinson to come up with an after-school program that would eventually lead to a community center. Mad-elyn Russell, Lauren MacGregor, and Rachel Machuta wanted a place where students could learn new skills that could help them not only in school, but in life.

A community garden to replace an area where a fire had recently destroyed a building was the idea that four seniors from Shepherd High School came up with. Coach Stepha-nie Iken worked with Bailey Brown, Justine Fisher, Katelyn Hartupee-Malett, and Carrie Willoughby. Focusing on teaching students of all ages how to plan and tend to a garden would be great for hands-on learning and a great way to provide more donations for the local food bank.

Senior Ryan Johns from Mount Pleasant High School was coached by Josh Forsyth on an idea to work with the Chippewa Wa-tershed Conservancy to develop trails on the soon-to-be-purchased, Bundy Hill. He had examples of signs that would be put up around the park as well as a video that had shown where he had successfully done this project before.

The idea of an amphitheater in Island Park won over the judges and the audience. Ide-ma’s plan contained a style of amphitheater that would be best for the park, a budget (with plans on how to acquire the funds needed), and a precise location for it. The amphitheater would be great for outdoor concerts, plays, markets, weddings, and other countless events.

The United Way is working with the win-ner and two runner-up groups to assist with funding and moving their projects to the next goal. The two runner-ups are Four Friends For Fitness and Ryan Johns.

1

2

3

4

Photo 1: Elise Hubel; Photos 2-4: Sam Villarreal

CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT ThePulse18

By RYAN GRIFFUS

The Pulse is honored to recognize another local leader and take the opportunity to get-to-know Mt. Pleasant’s Vice Mayor, Allison Quast-Lents. Allison personifies the cohesive, strong bond of Central Michigan. The feeling of pride that exudes from her as she describes the downtown area and some of the small businesses in Mt. Pleasant is absolutely undeniable. Allison Quast-Lents has taken enthusiasm for the City of Mt. Pleasant and transferred her passion for the area into work in the City Commission where she was recently elected Vice Mayor of the City. An astonishing feat, and a true testament to Allison’s capabilities as the past election was only Allison’s second.

Allison was born and raised here in Mt. Pleasant, “halfway between downtown and the Campus of CMU,” in the house that her parents still live in to this day. This is the neighborhood that she affectionate-ly refers to as “home,” and is also the community in which she and her husband, Mike, purchased a home in preparation for starting a family of their own. Allison and Mike Lents were married in August of 2013 in Mt. Pleasant “on the front porch of the home they some-day hope to live in.”

Allison was born with MHRK a syndrome that causes her to be unable to carry her own children. The Lents’ family friend and neigh-bor, Kristin Moutsatson, graciously delivered their daughter Olivia as a gestational surrogate in September of 2015. This remarkable act of kindness extended upon Allison and Mike is surely a testament to the incredible positive impact that they’ve had on the area, as well as a clear example of the spirit of helping and humanity found in the hearts of Central Michigan citizens.

Allison began her professional venture by receiving her education and obtaining her degree at Michigan State University. Allison ob-tained a Bachelor’s degree in General Management, and also earned a post-baccalaureate Para-Legal Certificate. Upon completion of her education, Allison returned to the Mt. Pleasant community in the spring of 2007 to take over the family bicycle shop, Motorless Mo-tion, located in downtown Mt. Pleasant. Prior to this Allison gained a tremendous amount of professional skill and capability through her experience working at the Michigan State University Wharton Center. Through this experience, where Allison served as an event coordinator, she fondly recalls “learning the importance of holding her head high, being confident, and speaking out.” While in Lansing Allison also spent a year working as a paralegal, and also gained addi-tional experience as an event coordinator at a Lansing-area hotel.

Community-minded and thoroughly immersed in crucial top-ics, the Lents family has joined the League of Women Voters where Allison plans to serve on League sub-committees. She also aspires to study more in-depth, local, state, and national issues related to her

work with the League of Women Voters. She is actively engaged with the League’s book club, where Allison says that she and other members “read and review books that provoke discus-sion on engaging the community in the politi-cal process.”

Allison proudly serves as the co-vice presi-dent of the local organization, the Washington Area Neighborhood Association (WANA). This group is a citizen association that covers the neighborhood in Mt. Pleasant that spans from Broadway to Bellows, and Mission to Pine St. The WANA, this year has conjured and orga-nized a very intriguing event that is true to the spirit of local cohesiveness and positive neigh-borhood interaction. “Porchfest” is set to take place on June 12, 2016, and will allow citizens in the WANA area to host musicians on their front porches. WANA’s intention with this creative and enjoyable event is for local citizens to be able to enjoy the many wonderful sights of their local community while they partake of the delightful music on each porch that elects to host a talent.

Allison’s passion for local business and

CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT - VICE MAYOR ALLISON QUAST-LENTS

CITIZEN SPOTLIGHTThePulse 19

enthusiasm for community-related events is unrivaled. Her description of the “energy that buzzes in the air when a plan pulls together” is infectious and inspiring. Allison cited the second Friday event at the Art Reach of Mid-Michigan, Helios Art Gallery, and the Narrativality Coffee Roasters as an inspir-ing instance of community participation and opportunity for participation in local festivities. Allison noted with optimism that during these events, “even though it was a blistery cold night, all three businesses were full of people, who all took turns attending each event and enjoying the arts and culture that Mt. Pleasant has to offer.”

Allison vehemently refutes the notion of those who might claim that downtown Mt. Pleasant is dying as she issues a wel-coming challenge to all to “attend the next second Friday event and feel for yourself the energy that buzzes in the air.” Spoken with passion and a true heart for the community her family calls home, there is no doubt that Allison is a champion for her city.

Through constant collaboration, promotion, and exuberant support, Allison supports local businesses by “brainstorming ideas on how to improve community events, how to encour-age more retail businesses to come to downtown, and how to make downtown a friendly, welcome place to be.” Allison truly personifies local support for Central Michigan business profes-sionals and acts on her passion through numerous acts such as her and her family purchasing the majority of their groceries from farmers at the local Farmers Market. What doesn’t come from the local Farmers Market, Allison says comes from Green-Tree Cooperative, the Mt. Pleasant cooperatively owned grocery store. Allison spends a substantial amount of time in the sum-mer months picking local berries, peaches, and tomatoes which she eventually cans by the quart.

Just as Allison describes the good feeling she experiences when a plan pulls together, so does she explain the elation for creating a meal using only locally-sourced ingredients such as “a chili recipe using local meat, beans grown by a friend, and produce grown by an Amish family nearby.”

Allison and her family are only getting started with their intentions for community development, planting their roots ever-deeper into the wonderful Mt. Pleasant area. Mike and Allison have been remodeling an old fraternity house, in effort of having a home to raise a large family. As for now much of Al-lison’s favorite time is spent with her daughter Olivia attending “mommy meetups,” breastfeeding support groups, baby wearing events, and also story time or music and movement classes at the Chippewa River District Library.

Allison fully intends to remain involved in the development and enhancement of Mt. Pleasant and vows to continue to work

toward making the area the best it can be for all cit-izens. She says that her dream for the community is to “have neighborhoods that are integrated and offer the best for students, families, retirees, and young professionals all living cohesively side-by-side. She inspiringly shares this message to the Central Michi-gan area to accompany her incredible vision, “I hope those in the Central Michigan area continue to be engaged and active in their community and use their voice to be a positive part of democracy.”

The Pulse will take her advice and use its voice to express gratitude and admiration for Allison Quast-Lents. As the City of Mt. Pleasant’s Vice Mayor, she leads by action and example and portrays an im-measurable positive vision of a harmonious Central Michigan area that Allison is working tirelessly to create. Her effort and enthusiasm in the incredi-ble work she does is enjoyed by the citizens of Mt. Pleasant and it is with immense appreciation that this week’s Citizen Spotlight shines on local leader, Allison Quast-Lents.

If you would like to nominate someone to be the subject of The Pulse’s Citizen Spotlight, please send your nomination to [email protected].

POLITICS ThePulse20

Isabella County Democratic Party in Downtown Mt. Pleasant

The primary election for President of the United States is Tues-day March 8, 2016. This election decides who the state of Michigan will support at the National Democratic Convention when they decide who will be the Democratic nominee for Presi-dent.

The Democratic candidates in the primary are Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State, and Bernie Sanders, a current U.S. Senator from Vermont.

The deadline to register to vote has passed to vote in the primary but there is plenty of time to register to vote in the general election in November of this year.Jerry Hilliard, ICDP Chair

Whether you have registered to vote or not and want more information about voting you can go to the Michigan voter information center at the Secretary of State Internet site: https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/MVIC/.

A reminder that the 2016 Isabella County Democratic Party is looking forward to serving you from our downtown office which will be opening in downtown Mt. Pleasant at 208 Main Street in the very near future.

We have already started to move in and will have hours of operation posted on our door in the next few weeks. We also will have information about the March 8th presidential primary and all elections throughout 2016 and any information about Democratic Party events or other political events in the area will be available. We often have ride sharing to political events if someone needs one.

If you have not voted before, don’t worry it is easy. Stop in our office after we are finished moving in and we will walk you through the registration process, and the voting process. And while you are downtown don’t forget to check out the many fine shops.

POLITICSThePulse 21

Local Voting Precincts for March 8th Primary Voting

Isabella County Polling locations:

Township Precinct LocationBroomfield 01 Township Hall Corner of West M-20 and Rolland Rd., RemusChippewa 01 & 02 Fire & Township Offices - 11050 E. Pickard Rd., Mt. PleasantCoe 01 & 02 Township Hall - 309 W. Wright Ave., ShepherdColdwater 01 Township Hall - Stevenson Lake Rd. West of Brinton Rd.Deerfield 01 & 02 Township Hall - Remus Rd. (West M-20) and Winn Rd.Denver 01 Township Hall - E. Rosebush Rd. and Genuine Rd, at DelwinFremont 01 Winn Community Bldg. - Village of WinnGilmore 01 Township Hall - Corner of Stevenson Lake Rd. and Vandecar Rd.Isabella 01 Township Hall - E. Rosebush Rd, in the Village of RosebushLincoln 01 Township Hall - 8000 Block of S. Crawford Rd, ShepherdNottawa 01 Township Hall - Weidman Rd. and Winn Rd.Rolland 01 Township Hall - Main St., Blanchard - downtownSherman 01 Township Hall - Airline and Rolland Rd., WeidmanUnion 01 Township Hall - Corner of Lincoln Rd. and Pickard Rd.Union 02 Jameson - 5142 Bud St., Mt. PleasantUnion 03 Commission on Aging - 2200 S. Lincoln Rd., Mt. PleasantVernon 01 Township Hall - Corner of Stevenson Lake Rd. and Mission Rd.Wise 01 Township Hall - Corner of Old US-10 and Loomis Rd., ClareCity of Clare 01 Public Safety Building - 207 W. Fifth St., Clare

City of Mt. Pleasant Polling Locations:

City of Mt. Pleasant 01 Ganiard School - Gymnasium - W. Broadway St.City of Mt. Pleasant 02 City Hall - 320 W. BroadwayCity of Mt. Pleasant 03 Pullen School - Gymnasium - S. Brown St.City of Mt. Pleasant 04 High School - Room 112 - S. Elizabeth St.City of Mt. Pleasant 05 Kinney School - Gymnasium - N. Kinney St.City of Mt. Pleasant 06 Vowles School - Gymnasium - S. Watson Rd.City of Mt. Pleasant 07 Fancher School - Gymnasium - S. Kinney St.

To check whether you are registered to vote, view your sample ballot, or track the sta-tus of your absentee ballot, click here to go to the State of Michigan’s Voter Information Center Page: https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/MVIC/votersearch.aspx

Where to vote:

THE ARTS ThePulse22

Galaxy Star: Chapter 1 by Chris Krabill

‘Galaxy Star’ is a fiction serial written for The Pulse by Mt. Pleasant resident Chris Krabill. This is the first chapter / installment in the series. The Pulse is a community-sourced weekly paper, which means we are always accepting new writers and ideas. If you have a piece of literary writing to share with local readers, be it fiction, poetry, or prose, you can submit it to us at [email protected]

And now without further ado, we bring you the first chapter of Galaxy Star.

This collection of stories was found jammed into a cube made of an unknown material. After some fiddling by NASA and one desperate engineering student, it was opened. What follows is mostly

true (we think) and makes us wonder who sent it in the first place. Enjoy.

You know how you think you’re from a small town? Imagine Earth as the small town. I’m current-ly being held in QΩ’s Galactic Anomaly holding area. Apparently, the whole reason I was grabbed was because of a mistaken identity. I still wonder if anyone will even notice that I’m gone. Let me try to explain. I was a typical teenager with the same stupid problems as anyone else.

“You’re getting all angsty again. Just tell the story” A squeaky voice says off my shoulder. That’s VARP. He’s basically a hyper intelligent droid (just don’t call him one). He’s been assigned to me as kind of a babysitter, I guess. He looks kind of like a hovering diamond made of plastic or some-thing. He’s also a major pain in my…

“Less introversion, more talking already. Get to good part already” That booming voice belongs to my cellmate, Throg. Think a cross between a T. Rex and the incredible hulk. And his vocabulary bounces from poet to hooked on phonics. And he smells like a rotten piece of meat left out in the sun too long. Worst roommate ever.

“All right all right. Geez, you’re worse than a little kid.” Luckily, Earth hasn’t made any huge galac-tic impact, so half the stuff I say goes over the average Reticulan. Throg just gives me a blank stare. Then growls like an angry dog on steroids. Anyways, here’s how it happened. My piece of crap car had died on the way to school. It was wet and rainy and I began hoofing along the road.

“This is just great. Late on the first day of school and my car dies. What else can go wrong?” My tennis shoes scraped on the pavement as I headed toward the high school. I know what you’re thinking “Why didn’t he use his cellphone? What kind of idiot doesn’t have one?” Well, let me tell you what kind of idiot. An idiot whose parents are basically absentee landlords. Now keep in mind that my mind was fully occupied with this thought when they grabbed me. There was no x-files flash of light or anything. Just darkness and a feeling of flying.

THE ARTSThePulse 23

Galaxy Star: Chapter 1 by Chris Krabill

The next thing I know I’m staring up at a rocky ceiling, waking up to a foul smell and snoring that shakes the walls. I sit up and clock my head on the massive bed hovering over mind. All sorts of weird bones and strange markings are all over. Naturally, I reacted with total coolness.

“You make loud noise like a Zebbin in heat. Wake me up. Then stupid techno-organic thing come.” Throg added in. When an 8-foot-tall scaly primeval killing machine interrupts your story, you let him finish. I might be an Earthling, but I’m not dumb. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. My name is Conner. I’m still trying to find a cool space sounding name. And a way back home. That’s sort of hard to do when you’re stuck in a galactic zoo. At least that’s what I think it is.

“Enough observations, Conner. Get to the logical part.” VARP is generally annoying most of the time, but as sitters go, I’ve had worse. At least he powers down once in a while and leaves me alone. Okay, now about the Keepers. Although I’ve never seen them, everybody in QΩ has their theories. Throg thinks they’re somebody who collects others, just to eat them. I hope he’s wrong about that. ZARP says he’s not allowed to talk about it, due to his Directive programming. Personally, I don’t want to know. Ever.

“Aren’t you going to tell them about D’Q1138?” ZARP hovers down in my face and imitates a foot tapping noise. “She could help you escape, if you weren’t so eager to mate with her.”

At that point, he projects a 3D hologram next to me. Now D’Q is the nearest thing to another Earthling I’ve seen. And she is super-hot. What makes her even hotter is that I heard she was some sort of intergalactic spy or something. Tell me that doesn’t get your Earth genes moving! The only problem is that I’m separated from her by a stupid force field thing. The QΩ has see-through dis-plays that hurt like a mother when you touch them. And you want to talk about weird? Every day I see aliens looking into my little piece of hell. I totally know what goldfish go through now.

“Throg think you stalling! Little (he struggles with the word) robot thinks so too!” ZARP turns to Throg and gives him a zap with his eye lens.

“Yarg! Stupid thing! Throg smash!” Yeah, this is an average day around here. The masses of aliens go by. Some point and gibber. Others run in terror. The last time I talked to D’Q, she was thinking about escaping, which is sounding more and more like it’s possible. She mentioned that we need a transport, and something about a mission. I kind of faded on that, because I was staring at her awe-some cleavage in prison garb.

Hey! Don’t make that face. I’m only an Earthling after all. Just a teenager from a planet no one outside of Beta4 has heard of. What kind of Grablink have I gotten myself into? TTYLConner Smith.

Chris Krabill is a Mt. Pleasant resident and military war veteran. Some of his writing influences are Stephen King, Douglas Adams, and Tom Clancy. Chris’ earliest memories include Star Wars, beach-es, and his grandfather’s parakeet. Look for the latest installment of Galaxy Star every Thursday in The Pulse.

THE ARTS ThePulse24

The Little Reading That Could - Starring Heather Slomski

By: ELISE HUBEL

Heather Slomski read her short stories to an audience at Kaya Coffee House on Thursday. Slomski read from a new novel she is working on, as well as her first published work, a book titled ‘The Lovers Set Down Their Spoons.’

Slomski’s reading is part of a vis-iting writer series that takes place at CMU. It was announced at the event that the supermarket chain Meijer has given the series a grant. It will now be known as the Meijer Visiting Writer Series.

Approximately 40 people attended the event, which was nicknamed the little reading that could. This nick-name was due to all the complica-tions created by Wednesday’s snow-storm. The reading was originally set to take place at the CMU Baber Room. However, due to the weather, Central Michigan University was closed. The event was able to secure a spot at Kaya just hours before it was scheduled to begin.

Slomski also encountered some personal trouble due to the snow. Her Wednesday night flight was canceled. She was rescheduled for a flight on Thursday and arrived in Mount Pleasant just hours before her reading was slated to begin.

Kaya Coffee House also hosted an-other event involving the Flint Water Crisis in the front of the coffee shop. The Flint event also sought Kaya as a new location since their original spot was also on campus.

STATE NEWSThePulse 25State Shows Concern for Spread of Legionnaire’s as Weather Warms

With warmer months approaching, cases of Legionnaires’ disease possible

While Legionnaires’ disease can happen at any time of the year, it is more common during warmer months when temperatures are ideal for growth of the bacteria that cause this disease (Legionella). That is why more people tend to get Legionnaires’ disease in the summer and fall.

“To continue the joint efforts to protect the health of residents of the city of Flint, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Wayne State University are working to ensure that residents are aware of the poten-tial for disease spread as the warmer months approach,” said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive with MDHHS.

Legionella is a type of bacteria commonly found in the environment that grows best in warm water, such as hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, drinkable water systems, and decorative fountains. When people are exposed to the bacteria, it can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a respiratory disease that can infect the lungs and cause pneumo-nia. In general, Legionnaires’ disease is not spread from one person to another. However, this has been documented in extremely rare cases.

Most healthy people do not get sick after being exposed to Legionella. Being 50 years or older or having certain risk factors increases the chances of getting sick. Other risk factors include being a current or former smoker; having chronic lung disease, such as emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; having a weakened immune system from diseases like cancer, diabetes, or kidney failure; or taking medicine that weakens your immune system. Legionnaires’ disease in children is not common.

MDHHS and WSU are issuing this statement because Genesee County had increased cases of Legionnaires’ dis-ease in 2014 and 2015. MDHHS cannot conclude that these increases were related to the water switch in Flint nor can we rule out a possible association at this time.

Looking ahead to the coming warmer months, MDHHS is working with buildings with large water systems such as hospitals and nursing homes, hotels and motels, and buildings with more than 10 stories to help protect people from Legionnaires’ disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been working with MDHHS in identifying buildings at increased risk for Legionella growth and spread and developing tools to support Legionella prevention. Further, chlorine (a water disinfectant that inhibits Legionella growth) levels will continue to be closely monitored throughout the municipal system.

“As part of the U.S. Government response in Flint, we are collaborating with MDHHS and the Genesee County Health Department to make sure as many Legionnaires’ disease cases as possible are prevented in the future,” said Nancy Messonnier, Deputy Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Additionally, WSU has developed a protocol that includes rapid interviewing of patients reported with Legionella infections, promotion of appropriate specimen collection, and testing for Legionella and chlorination levels in the homes of people who are confirmed to have Legionnaires’ disease. Testing will help us understand if the water treat-ment process is adequate.

Finding Legionella in a water system is not uncommon. Studies have shown that Legionella bacteria can be found in anywhere from 6 to 33 percent of sampled homes, however, even if it is found, the risk of the average person acquiring Legionnaires’ disease from their home water system is very low. If Legionella is found in someone’s home, we will be able to compare those specimens with the clinical specimens from the patient to try to understand where the patient’s infection came from, as well as work with residents who have Legionella detected in their homes to improve the safety of their water.

For any resident that develops pneumonia symptoms, you should see a doctor right away. Signs and symptoms of pneumonia can include cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headache, and high fever. Be sure to tell the doctor if you have used a hot tub, spent any nights away from home, or stayed in a hospital in the last two weeks. Legion-naires’ disease requires treatment with antibiotics, and most cases can be treated successfully.

For more information about Legionnaires’ disease, visit www.cdc.gov/legionella.

COFFEE HAS A STORY ThePulse26

Finding a New Story in Congo through Coffee and CooperationBy AARON CROMAR

Coffee is ranked among the highest of consumed products on the planet, and is second only to crude oil as the highest traded commodity in the world. But most people still partake of this beverage, day after day, without so much as a thought given to where it comes from: What is its story? What is its journey from seed to cup? The story of coffee matters for its own sake – because knowing its story makes drinking it more meaningful, and it fosters a deep sense of gratitude. But what matters even more is taking that next step, getting to that next level, where you realize the story that

formed the coffee you drink every morning is intricately bound to the story of people behind the coffee.Coffees from East Africa are known as some of the World’s best. The character and flavor profile of these coffees

vary greatly, but overall they are known for being fruity, floral, fresh and vibrant, often with citrus accents, strong juicy acidity, and sometimes even a kind of savory essence. They are stunning and pure and wonderful. But when people talk about the transcendent majesty of coffee coming out of East Africa, The Democratic Republic of the Congo is never part the conversation, even though it has nearly everything going for it from climate to altitude, rain-fall, terrior, and soil.

When Congo makes it into popular culture, or enters the public consciousness in any form, it is nearly universally negative. And for good reason. It ranks among the very lowest of GDP’s in the world; aside from a small minority everyone who lives there is abjectly poor. It is almost incomprehensible that the largest country in Africa, full of cop-per, diamonds, gold, and lush vegetation, situated in fertile farmland, is also one of the most hopeless and poorest countries in existence. Since gaining its independence from Belgium in the 1960’s the country has steadily declined.

The history of Congo’s national independence is complicated and heavily nuanced. First were coups led by politi-cal and military figures, then the execution of the president by a head general, followed by a military leader named Joseph Mobutu – with the backing of an-ti-communist nations like the United States – who seized the Congolese presidency in 1965. He remained president until 1997, and during his tenure amassed billions in per-sonal wealth while his people struggled; so much exploitation and corruption his rule was labeled a “kleptocracy.” He also crafted a single party state, with political and mili-tary power centralized in his hands alone. The three decades of his rule encompassed widespread human rights abuses, mostly, of course, incurred upon the poor and power-less.

As if the people of Congo hadn’t been

COFFEE HAS A STORYThePulse 27

Finding a New Story in Congo through Coffee and Cooperationthrough enough already, the country also underwent civil war, and war with other nations, from 1993 to 2006, and beyond. These wars ravaged the country. Militia groups formed to back various influential figures seeking political and military power, and unspeakable acts of violence between these groups was routine. Ethnopolitics factored in at every turn, amplified by the Rwandan genocide spilling over into Congo. Congolese neighbors killed each other because of ethnic differences, and the rape of women became so common the United Nations called Congo the “rape capital of the world.” The war in Congo has aptly been called The Never Ending War. Over five million people have died since 1998, and those who lived are a traumatized generation.

Almost all coffee production in Congo halted during the years of conflict. Coffee farmers who continued grow-ing didn’t have a market in which to sell, so most of them smuggled it across borders and sold it for abysmally low prices. Countless numbers died trying to cross Lake Kivu to sell their coffee in Rwanda. So when people think about Congo, for good reason, they don’t think about good coffee, or anything good for that matter. Until recently, that is. Recently a new story has taken shape, and is begging to be told.

“In a nation once called “the rape capital of the world,” full inclusion of women within the cooperative is a massive step forward.”

Narrativality Coffee, roasting and brewing in The Coffee Room in Downtown Mount Pleasant

110 E. BroadwayM-F 7:30a - 2:30pSaturdays 9a - 5p

Closed on Sundays

Nestled on the shores of Lake Kivu in Eastern Dem-ocratic Republic of the Congo is a tiny protest on the side of hope, a small rebellion for good, which offers a counter script to Congo’s narrative. It is a small coffee cooperative that goes by the name SOPACDI – Solidarite Paysanne la Promotion de Actions Café et Development Integras.

Coffee farmers situated around Lake Kivu decided they’d had enough of trying to cross the lake in or-der to sell their coffee. They started to organize. They knew they would need some help, and a development organization in the UK called Twin Trading answered the call. Twin offered a knowledge base and equip-ment for SOPACDI to produce a premium product. The people of the SOPACDI Cooperative were able to build the first coffee washing station in Congo in over forty years. Their intention from the beginning was to produce and sell coffee to the specialty mar-ket, because doing so would enable them to fetch the highest possible price. But attracting the right buyers would be challenging. Specialty coffee buyers, inher-ently unfamiliar with their work, would very likely be skeptical of the quality of their coffee. So they reached out to Fair Trade.

In 2011 Fair Trade took the initiative to complete an unheard of documentary inspection of the SOPACDI

COFFEE HAS A STORY ThePulse28

Finding a New Story in Congo through Coffee and Cooperation

Cooperative. This means the Fair Trade “FLO-CERT” workers were not able to safely enter and operate within the country, so rather than disallow SOPACDI the certification, Fair Trade completed all aspects of the process except the physical inspection, and SOPACDI was granted certification. This opened the door to all kinds of resources, opportunity, and credibility.

Today, SOPACDI has grown to nearly 6000 small farmers. They have been able to earn enough from the sale of their coffee to meet ba-sic needs, medical care, and even education for their children. They have also been able to go about the work of rehabilitating and retooling abandoned coffee farms so additional produc-

ers can join them.The immensity and social significance of this achievement can’t be overstated. Only a few years earlier people

in this region would have been at such odds because of ethnic differences that ending each other’s lives was a very real possibility. And today they are working together, cooperating for a better life. Moreover, twenty percent of the cooperative members are women. Many of them lost their husbands during the conflict, or when trying to smuggle coffee out of the country to find buyers. SOPACDI has implemented gender equality programs and has even created a women’s premium for coffees grown by female producers. In a nation once called “the rape capital of the world,” full inclusion of women within the cooperative is a massive step forward.

Not everything in Congo, or even within the bounds of SOPACDI, is perfect. You are not going to see Congo on the “ten best places to live” list anytime soon, but things are getting better and SOPACDI has been a major bright spot and model other coffee producers in Congo are seeking to emulate. The coffee they produced this year is mag-nificent, with notes of brown sugar, dried cherry, florals, cola, even some savory notes, with a big creamy mouthfeel, and tangy orange acidity. It is a coffee fit for the high end specialty market.

So the next time you’re getting ready to drink a cup of coffee ask What is this coffee’s story? Remember, coffee comes from somewhere, and knowing its story can elevate your experience of it, providing appreciation and fostering gratitude. You might even find yourself, albeit from a distance, con-nected to the story of people behind the coffee, and that can make your daily, caffeinated ritual, more meaningful than you might have other-wise imagined.

Congo SOPACDI is served atThe Coffee Room

on their hand pour bar, as well as being available by the bag.

ASTRO DHARMA ThePulse30

For the week of Thursday March 3rd, 2016 – Wednesday March 9th, 2016

Thursday – March 3, 20165:01 am this morning the Moon enters hardworking, prac-tical and accomplishment-oriented Capricorn. We feel resourceful, we are motivated by a desire for success and we feel the need for structure and forward planning. This is a very productive Moon transit, today is a day to work hard and move forward on long term goals. However we have an aggravating connection between Venus and Jupiter. This may cause an internal uneasiness and awkwardness. Watch out for high expectations today as too high expectations can cause challenges and conflict. We can easily overextend ourselves today – don’t take on everyone else’s responsibilities – make sure you take care of your own first. Today is a pro-ductive day, but learn not to overdo! What are your goals? What practical steps can you take today to move forward in your goals?

Friday – March 4, 2016The Moon remains in success and hard work oriented Capri-corn today. This day is a day for practical accomplishments. The Capricorn Moon energy lends us ambition, a serious mindset and a practical outlook in order to get things done. Around Noon today the Moon makes connection with Pluto, we will find that we will be deeply involved in our work, hy-per-focused even… on the shadow side, inflexible. Around 3:00 pm the Moon will make a challenging connection to

Uranus, where flexibility will be the key to managing your work effectively. Disruptions are likely. And at 3:30 pm the Moon makes a connection with Jupiter giving a nice con-structive ease towards your accomplishments and your work. This is a Friday Night that you might feel more like staying in – it’s been a serious day all the way through, and it is a nice evening to relax. Saturday will be a better night to socialize! Where do you want to go? What does success look like to you?

Saturday – March 5, 2016We have a busy day today astrologically! While we were sleeping Mercury and Mars squared off. Did anyone wake up from an aggressive dream in the middle of the night? If you were up into the wee early mornings – there could have been an argument or conflict around 12:30 am. Early this morn-ing Mercury entered sweet, sensitive Pisces. Mercury is the planet that represents our thinking and communications. In Pisces we may find that our thoughts are more intuitive, sen-sitive and imaginative than usual. Our mind may feel “in the clouds”, a bit dreamy and our train of thoughts may be hard to follow. There will be less clarity and more mystical think-ing. When Mercury is in Pisces it is a good time to work on projects that are creative or spiritual in nature; writing, painting, yoga. Mercury will stay in Pisces until March 21st. At about 11:30 this morning the Moon moves into the inno-vative, progressive and unique Aquarius. We will feel seek comfort in our own unique individuality, humanity pursuits and group endeavors… on an emotional level, however we will feel cooler than usual, more detached. When the Moon is in Aquarius you want to follow those brilliant, out of the box and innovative ideas! And last, but not least, later this evening Mars moves into adventurous, spontaneous Sagittar-ius, this will happen this evening at about 9:30 pm. Mars is the planet that represents drive, motivation and action. We may feel spontaneous, restless and adventurous with Mars in Sagittarius. It is a good time to explore new territory. It is a nice Saturday night for a new adventure! (for more detailed information regarding all of what is going on today – please find me on fb/AstroDharmaDen) What creative or spiritual pursuits can you get active in today? What new territory can you explore today?

Sunday – March 6, 2016The Moon remains in quirky, innovative and brilliant light bulb moments, Aquarius. We seek Universal love for all of humanity. We seek quirky fun, innovative conversations and brilliance! Very early this morning as we slept, the Sun and Saturn squared off. Later tonight the Sun will connect with Pluto. So we will have both of these energies today. This Day could be pretty serious, maybe even pessimistic. There may be obstacles and delays that are frustrating and challenging

Astro Dharma Weather & Coaching

ASTROLOGICAL FORECASTThePulse 31

to our self-confidence. We may feel self-doubt, due to these restrictions. Try not to take these difficulties too personally, but rather just step back and get a larger view of the situa-tion. We do however have an opportunity to align ourselves with our goals, as personal power is accessible now. We have ability to apply determined effort to promoting our own ideas, and we can be very persuasive when dealing with other people. What can you do to remain positive if you are given obstacles on your path today? How can you use your person-al power to for the benefit of yourself, your goals and others?

Monday – March 7, 2016Today we start the day off enjoying the Aquarius Moon energy. There may be a sense of emotional coolness in the air – but there is idealism. More intellectual than feeling, the Aquarius energy is interested in the collective of humanity, saving the world, making things better. At 2:20 pm the Moon enters Pisces. There becomes a mystical quality to our emo-tions and we seek compassion, love and kindness. Unusual or radical undertakings, social pursuits, group projects, new experiences are favored activities for the early part of the day. Later today when it is Pisces Moon imaginative and creative pursuits, mystical or spiritual pursuits, inner development, music and drama, meditation and any activities involving water are favored.

Tuesday – March 8, 2016The Moon will remain in sensitive, mystical and intuitive Pisces all day. Today we have a New Moon. All New Moons represent New Beginnings. At 9:00 pm the New Moon will be exact. New Moons are about new beginnings, planting seeds, starting new projects and setting intentions. What new beginnings do you want to make in your life? This is a Pisces New Moon so we are looking at new beginnings imag-inative undertakings, mystical or spiritual pursuits, inner healing and development, music and drama, taking a retreat and any activities involving water. It is also a potent time to set intentions in forgiveness, compassion, loving kind-ness and understanding. Have you been saying you want a meditation and yoga practice? Have you been wanting to get creative, and learn to paint? Have you been wanting to visit that church or temple? What new beginnings do you want to make in your life along these Pisces lines? *Please visit fb/AstroDharmaDen for more detailed information regarding the New Moon.

Wednesday – March 9, 2016This morning we still have the Pisces Moon. Sensitive, in-tuitive and go with the flow is the Pisces energy. It is a good morning to put in some yoga and meditation. Practice love and compassion towards yourself and others. It is a dreamy morning – you might be floating around in a happy little

daze. On the shadow side the Pisces Moon can bring out our addictions and/or escapist tendencies. You could feel over-ly-sensitive as well. At 2:40 pm the Moon will leave Pisces and enter into action oriented, sometimes aggressive Aries! What a big difference of energies here. The Aries Moon is all about action. It is about pioneering, initiating, taking the lead in a new project. This is when we want to act on those Pisces New Moon intentions from yesterday maybe! It is important to release this bold energy if you find it gets too much by vigorous exercise. Aries enthusiastic, spontaneous, exciting go go go energy can quickly turn to impatient, irri-table and “get out of my way”, anxiety. Try and ground and calm yourself this morning with some nice soothing yoga and meditation. Go for a brisk walk or run this evening!

Astrological Forecasts brought to you by Michelle Haw-ley-Whitney Astrologer and Life Coach at Astro Dharma Den. Certified Holistic Life Coach - Certified Recovery Coach - Meditation & Mindfulness Teacher & Astrologer.

*Astro Dharma Weather & Forecasting is in general – what is happening in the skies each day. All of our natal charts are as individual as our finger prints. If you would like to know and understand your own astrology and find out your own personalized forecasts – please schedule a reading.You can find me at https://www.facebook.com/AstroDhar-maDen/ E-mail [email protected] or call 989-817-2851.

MPHS Hockey Skates Past Tri-Valley on Senior Night

The Mt. Pleasant Oilers Varsity Hockey team has had an impressive season, win-ning a record-high 18 games.

Their overall season record is 18-7-0, as they head into post-season play against a tough Big Rapids team.

But before they could start the post-sea-son they faced off against Tri-Valley Titans this week in a night to recognize the seniors on the team.

The Oilers got out to an early lead, when #12 Max Trucks scored his first of two goals for the night with 10:54 left in the first period.

The Titans scored a power play goal with 3:12 left in the first period, and the teams went in to the first break in a 1-1 tie.

Tri-Valley took its first lead scoring just six minutes into the second period, then with 4:25 left in the period Max Trucks scored his second goal of the game.

Then with just over a minute left in the period, Oiler Isaac Angera would find the back of the net to send Mt. Pleasant into the second break up by a goal with a 3-2 lead.

The penalty box had revolving doors as both teams played a physical game, send-ing several players to the box throughout the game.

The third period started off with a bang for Mt. Pleasant as #14 Kaleb Ramon pad-ded the Oilers’ lead by scoring in the first minute of play.

Tri-Valley responded five minutes later with a goal of their own, cutting the Mt. Pleasant lead down to a single goal with 11:00 minutes left in regulation.

Mt. Pleasant’s goalie #35 Andrew Lam-bert kept the barrage of shots from the Titans out of the net and #20 Zach Heeke added an empty net goal with just 12.8 sec-onds left on the clock to give the Oilers a win on Senior Night.

UPDATE: Oilers won in Overtime late Wednesday night and will play Cadillac tonight to continue postseason play!

SPORTS ThePulse32

MPHS Hockey Skates Past Tri-Valley on Senior Night

SPORTSThePulse 33

SPORTS ThePulse34

This Sunday, March 6th, 1:00pm, Chippewa Lanes, all City Tournament Champions will be recognized at the MP USBC Annual Membership meeting. 2016 City Tournament jackets & checks presented too! This FREE event, (with pizza & pasta courtesy of Pizza Hut), is for ALL certified league members. Membership is invited to share in the celebration and participate in the meeting to determine association directors & delegates for the 2016-2017 season. If interested in a director spot on the MP USBC board, contact me for an electronic list of “Director Duties”. If still interested, you could be added to the ballot containing a slate of potential directors for next season. Another item of interest, to some, is a display of all the yearbooks from “the bygone days of yesteryear”… in other words the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, & 90’s. (That’s 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, & 1990’s for you youngsters out there.) A real trip down memory lane can be appealing, if not downright hilarious when looking at some of the styles/hairdos of that era. Not to mention photos of some current “experienced” bowlers when they were in their teens, 20’s and 30’s! Come join us!!

Local MP USBC Bowling Clinic(lessons):Next Monday, March 7th, 7:00pm to 8:00pm, MP USBC will host a FREE bowling clinic(lessons) at Chippewa Lanes. (May have to pay lineage if charged.) Contact me if you plan to attend so I can have enough coaches on hand. This will be the only clinic in March.

Local High School Regional MHSAA results:TEAM competition is comprised of six(6) Baker games followed by 3 regular scoring games. Individual competition is a 6-game format, (no handicap), at various sites around the state. Shepherd competed in Region 17-Saginaw at Candlelite Bowl. Congratulations to the Shepherd boys team for their 5th place finish at regional. (However, only the top 3 teams go to state finals.) Special congrats to Jacob Boulis(3rd) & Jonah Montney(4th) who did qualify for state finals!! They’re the 1st boys ever to qualify from Shepherd!(The top 10 individual finalists move to state finals next weekend in Jackson.) The Shepherd girls finished as follows: Laura Cuthbertson 14th, Abbey Sura 24th, Annika Bendele 40th, Hailee Hammond 46th, Alivia Overmyer 58th, & Haylee Curtis, 60th.

For Alma, also competing in Region 17, the girls team was top qualifier by over 150 pins and, individually, four of their bowlers will be heading to the state finals! Susan Schultz(3rd), Aaliyah Wilson(4th), Sarah Gadde(6th), Kem-mie Shunk(7th).

Former MPHS bowler, Rebecca Curtis(1186), now of Saginaw Swan Valley finished 1st in this regional competition. For MPHS, they competed in Region 10-Gaylord at the Gaylord Bowling Center. Basil Naganashe(5th) and Deven Loomis(7th) will be heading to the state finals! Naganashe average 183 and Loomis 179 for their 6-game qualifying.

For St. Louis, competing in Region 22-Riverwood Lanes, the girls team qualified 1st and the boys team qualified 2nd for the state finals while, individually, Jasmine Lowe(2nd), Kodi O’Boyle(5th), & Emily Thelen(7th) all qualified for state too!

Once again, GOOD LUCK to all area state finalists!

Local tournaments & promotions:-31st Annual Irish Festival Best Frame Doubles, Gateway Lanes, 989/386-2201. Website: www.gatewaylanes.com - Choose from: Friday, March 18th(6:00pm), Saturday, March 19th(10:00am, 1:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:00pm), Sunday, March 20th(3:00pm)-1st Annual BVL No-Tap Doubles Tournament, Chippewa Lanes, Saturday, March 26th, Bowl at noon and/or 3:00pm! - This event keeps getting bigger & bigger. You can reserve your spot on one or both squads via Facebook!

Annual MP USBC Membership Meeting Takes Center Stage - Dave Lewis

Third Annual CreativeEscape Fundraiser

March 2016All Proceeds going to the

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

THERE WILL BE A CHAIR MASSUSE AVAILABLESATURDAY WITH PROCEEDS GOING TO CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Friday, March 4th: 4-9 pmSaturday, March 5th: 8am-7pm

Zion Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall3401 E River Rd, Mt Pleasant

PLEASE BRING:• Your own projects and Supplies• Your favorite dessert to share

COST OF $65 INCLUDES:• Goody bag worth over $25• 3 make and takes• Special hand-made gifts• Your own table space• Dinner on Friday• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday

If you are registering as a group, please include the group name & members of the group.Send registration form below with your payment of check or credit card to:

Kim Vogel, Stampin’ Up!, 5783 E Beal City Rd., Mt. Pleasant MI 48858 (989) 506-1410SPACE IS LIMITED SO PLEASE RSVP by FEBRUARY 28th.

Participant Name: _____________________________ Group Name: _______________________________

Address:___________________________________ City/State:____________________________________

Phone #: ____________________________ Payment: CK Enclosed Credit Card: Visa M/C Discover

Card #: _____________________________Exp. Date: ___________ CVV: _____

Email: ___________________________________ Dietary Concerns:______________________________

Raffle Items Include:Vera Bradley, Gift Certificates,

Longaberger Products,Stampin’ Up Products

and other items too numerous to mention!

Optional classes and project kits will be available for purchase.

There will be vendors on site as well.

In Loving Memory of

Brad Niswonger

POLITICS & MEETINGS ThePulse38

WHO TO CALL - REPRESENTATIONIsabella County Board of CommissionersD1 - George Green (Chair) (989) 588-4216 [Farwell (R)]D2 - John Haupt (989) 644-3390 [Mt. Pleasant (D)]D3 - Jerry Jaloszynski (989) 330-4890 [Shepherd (R)]D4 - Jim Horton (989) 621-1534 [Mt. Pleasant (R)]D5 - James Moreno (989) 773-5797 [Mt. Pleasant (D)]D6 - David Ling (Vice-Chair) (989) 773-7823 [Mt. Pleasant (D)]D7 - Michael Fisher (989) 860-1807 [Mt. Pleasant (D)]

House - 4th DistrictJohn Moolenaar (R)(989) 631-2552(202) 225-3561

Midland Office:200 East Main Street Suite 230Midland, MI 48640

Washington D.C. Office:117 Cannon House Off BldgWashington, DC 20515

SenateDebbie Stabenow (D)(517) 203-1760(202) 224-4822

Mid-Michigan Office:221 W. Lake Lansing Rd.Suite 100East Lansing, MI 48823

Washington D.C. Office:731 Hart Senate Office BldgWashington, DC 20510

SenateGary Peters (D)(517) 377-1508(202) 224-6221

Mid-Michigan Office:127 West Allegan StreetSuite 1810Lansing, MI 48933

Washington D.C. Office:724 Hart Senate Office BldgWashington, DC 20510

Isabella County Meetings:Board of Commissioners.............................(1st & 3rd Tues - 7:00p)Board Committee Work Sessions...............(1st & 3rd Tues - 4:30p)Parks & Recreation...................................................(1st Wed - 7:00p)Road Commission........................(2nd Th - 8:30a & 4th Th - 6:30p)

Mt. Pleasant City Meetings:City Commission........................................(2nd & 4th Mon - 7:00p)Airport Advisory Board............................................(2nd Th - 5:30p)Downtown Development Board...............................(3rd Th - 8:00a)Historic District Commission..............................(2nd Tues - 5;00p)Parks & Recreation..................................................(4th Tues - 7:00p)Planning Commission................................................(1st Th - 7:00p)TIFA & DDA*...........................................................(2nd Th - 10:00a) *Tax Increment Finance Authorities & Downtown Development AuthorityZoning Board of Appeals.......................................(4th Wed - 7:00p)

Township Board Meetings:Broomfield Twp......................................................(3rd Mon - 7:00p)Chippewa Twp.........................................................(1st Mon - 7:00p)Coe Twp..................................................................(2nd Mon - 7:00p)Coldwater Twp........................................................(3rd Mon - 7:00p)Deerfield Twp..........................................................(3rd Mon - 7:00p)

WHEN TO GO - MTGS

Governor - Rick Snyder (R)(517) 373-4000Mail to: P.O. Box 30013Lansing, MI 48909

House - 99th DistrictKevin Cotter (R) - Speaker(517) 373-1789Mail to: P.O. Box 30014Lansing, MI 48909

Senate - 33rd DistrictJudy Emmons (R)(517) 373-8661Mail to: P.O. Box 30036Lansing, MI 48909

STATE

COUNTY

NATION

MT. PLEASANTMt. Pleasant Board of CommissionersMayor - Kathleen Ling (989) 773-7823 [member since 2008]Vice Mayor - Allison Quast-Lents (989) 854-0444 [member since 2016]Commissioner - Jim Holton (989) 817-4288 [member since 2006]Commissioner - Tony Kulick (989) 289-7098 [member since 2014]Commissioner - Mike Verleger (989) 621-2384 [member since 2015]Commissioner - Nick Madaj (989) 854-5231 [member since 2016]Commissioner - Lori Gillis (989) 772-7544 [member since 2016]

Township Board Meetings (cont.):Denver Twp......................................................(3rd Th - 6:00p)Fremont Twp.................................................(4th Tues - 7:00p)Gilmore Twp................................................(2nd Wed - 7:00p)Isabella Twp...................................................(1st Mon - 7:00p)Lincoln Twp.................................................(2nd Tues - 7:30p)Nottawa Twp.................................................(1st Mon - 7:00p)Rolland Twp.................................................(2nd Tues - 7:00p)Sherman Twp................................................(3rd Mon - 8:00p)Union Twp.........................................(2nd & 4th Wed - 7:00p)Vernon Twp...................................................(1st Mon - 6:30p)Wise Twp..........................................................(3rd Th - 7:00p)

Rosebush, Shepherd, Lake Isabella Meetings:Rosebush Village Board.............................(2nd Mon - 7:00p)Shepherd Village Council.................(1st & 3rd Mon - 7:00p)Shepherd Planning Commission.................(1st wed - 7:00p)Shepherd Board of Appeals........................(meets by request)Lake Isabella Village Council......................(3rd Tues - 7:00p)Lake Isabella Planning Commission.........(2nd Tues - 7:00p)Lake Isabella Zoning Board.........................(4th Tues - 7:00p)Lake Isabella (LIPOA).................................(2nd Wed - 7:00p)

National Suicide Prevention Line1 (800) 273-8255

www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

24/7 Crisis HotlineIsabella County

1 (989) 772-2918

Winter Shelter

The Isabella County Restoration House provides a rotating shelter open every night from Sunday, No-vember 1st, through March 2016. Shelter seekers must check in nightly at the Unitarian Universalist Fellow-ship, 319 S. University (next door to the public library, downtown Mt. Pleasant) between 4:30-5:45 p.m. Transportation is provided to the shelter each night. A hot meal and warm bed will be ready. Transportation from the shelter to the Soup Kitchen is provided each morning.

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings

Alano Club 1201 N. Fancher (989) 772-4955Mondays thru Fridays - 9a, 12p, 5:30p, 8pSaturdays & Sundays - 9a, 11a, 5:30p, 8p

Other Meeting LocationsCentral Michigan Christian Church3433 S. Lincoln Rd. - Mondays - 7p

First Presbyterian Church1250 Watson Rd. - Wednesdays - 8p

St. Mary’s Parish1405 S. Washington - Wednesdays - 12p

Westlawn Church of Christ (Shepherd)222 Dearing Drive - Thursdays - 7p

Al-Anon Meetings

Alano Club 1201 N. Fancher (989) 772-4955Sundays 6:30p - Mondays 7p - Fridays 7p

Behavioral Health 2800 S. Shepherd Rd.Tuesdays 5p

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

Wesley Foundation 1400 S. WashingtonTuesdays 6:30p

First United Methodist Church 400 S. Main St.Thursdays 6:30p

24-hour Alcoholics Anonymous Hotline1-800-821-3014

Additional Community Meetings

Refuge Recovery @ Saginaw Chippewa Behavioral Health (2800 S. Shepherd) - Wednesdays 6:30p

Gambler’s Anonymous @ First United Methodist Church (400 S. Main) - Mondays 6:30p

Additional Community Resources

Community Mental Health 301 S. Crapo(989) 772-5938

1016 Detox 2885 Health Parkway(989) 775-0604

Listening Ear 107 Illinois St.(989) 386-2774

Mt. Pleasant Police Department 804 E. High St.(989) 779-5100 Central Dispatch 773-1000 (FOR EMERGENCY DIAL 911)

Life Choice of Central Michigan(989) 773-6008

Foster Closet of Michigan - Isabella County Branch1-800-554-4966 ext 212

HELP & SUPPORT 39ThePulse

CLUBS, GROUPS, ORGS ThePulse40

When & Where to Get Involved in Local GroupsCentral Michigan Daylily Society

3rd Saturdays @ 10:00 a.m. @ COA

Chippewa Valley Audubon Club2nd Wednesdays @ 7:00 p.m. @ VML

Community Service Council1st Mondays @ noon @ COA

Evening Bloomers Garden Club1st Tuesdays @ 7:00 p.m. @ COA

Friends of the Broadway1st Wednesdays @ 6:30 p.m. @ COA

Genealogy Society2nd Thursdays @ 7:00 p.m. @ COA

Historical Society1st Tuesdays @ 7:00 p.m. @ COA

Independent Order of Odd Fellows@ 113 N. Fancher

Isabella County Community Collaborative1st Fridays @ 9:00 a.m. @ COA

Kiwanis ClubMondays @ noon @ Cheers

Lions Club2nd & 4th Mondays @ 6:00 p.m.

@ Comfort Center

Mid Michigan Area Storytellers3rd Tuesdays @ 6:30 p.m. @ VML

Mid Michigan Quilt Guild4th Tuesdays @ 6:00 p.m. @ COA

Mid Michigan Woodcrafters2nd Tuesdays @ 7:00 p.m. @ COA

Model Aircraft Club3rd Saturdays (Summer) @ 1:00 p.m.

@ Club field

Mt. Pleasant Area Diversity Group3rd Thursdays @ 7:00 p.m. @ COA

Optimist ClubTuesdays @ noon @ Italian Oven

Rotary ClubMondays @ 11:45 a.m.

@ Mountain Town Station

Stamp Collectors4th Tuesdays @ 7:00 p.m. @ COA

Zonta2nd & 4th Mondays @ 6:00 p.m.

@ Italian Oven

Send Additions, Corrections, Updates to:[email protected]

- JOIN -PARTICIPATE

- GROW -

ENTERTAINMENTThePulse 41

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort - Upcoming Events

March 4th - Tracy Morgan

March 26th - Adam Lambert wsg Alex Newell

April 8th - Styx

April 9th - Jay Leno

April 15th - John Mellencamp

April 16th - The Band Perry

April 23rd - The Temptations & The Four Tops

May 21st - Lewis Black

Staples Family Concert Hall - Upcoming Events

March 3rd - University Band

March 18th - 20th - Opera:

‘Puccini Suor Angelica & Debussy L’enfant prodigue’

March 22nd - Faculty Brass Quintet

March 24th - Trombone Choir & Trumpet Ensemble

March 29th - Guest Artist Composer, Elainie Lillios

ENTERTAINMENT ThePulse42

MAC TV Network Channels ScheduleSUNDAY

1:00 AM IWE Battlezone TV - Wrestling 191-MAC13:13 AM Isabella County Work Session 191-MAC17:00 AM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov8:00 AM Faith Community Church 187-MAC29:00 AM Faith Community Church 191-MAC19:00 AM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 9 AM 187-MAC210:00 AM Grace Church Live 191-MAC110:00 AM Trinity Church 187-MAC211:00 AM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 11 AM 187-MAC212:00 PM Grace Church 187-MAC212:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov1:00 PM AUMC 191-MAC12:00 PM Sacred Heart Parish 187-MAC22:00 PM U. Tshp Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov3:30 PM AUMC 187-MAC24:00 PM End of Life Issues 191-MAC14:07 PM Clare Depot Receives Caboose 191-MAC15:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC15:00 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC25:00 PM MP Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov7:00 PM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 11 AM 191-MAC17:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC27:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC28:00 PM Hockey - MPHS vs. Midland Dow 187-MAC28:00 PM MP Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov9:30 PM Trinity Church 191-MAC19:47 PM Girls Basketball - MPHS vs. Saginaw 187-MAC211:00 PM Grace Church 191-MAC111:03 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC2

MONDAY7:00 AM Trinity Church 191-MAC17:00 AM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov7:30 AM Girls Basketball SHA vs. Clare 187-MAC28:00 AM Democracy Now 191-MAC19:00 AM Faith Community Church 191-MAC110:00 AM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC110:00 AM Sports Attack 187-MAC210:00 AM UT Board of Trustees 188-Gov10:30 AM Art Review 187-MAC211:00 AM Christian Music Videos 191-MAC111:00 AM The Vanisher 187-MAC212:00 PM Hockey - MPHS vs. Midland Dow 187-MAC212:29 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov12:30 PM Tombstone Town: PBB Cleanup 191-MAC11:47 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC22:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC12:02 PM Art Review 187-MAC22:32 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC24:00 PM Alma Middle School Interviews 191-MAC14:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC24:31 PM MAC Gives Back: Girls on th Run 191-MAC15:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC15:00 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC26:00 PM Christian Music Videos 191-MAC17:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC27:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC28:00 PM Hockey - MPHS vs. Midland Dow 187-MAC29:47 PM Girls Basketball - MPHS vs. Saginaw 187-MAC210:00 PM Democracy Now 191-MAC111:00 PM Grace Church 191-MAC111:03 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC2

WEDNESDAY12:42 AM IWE Battlezone TV - Wrestling 191-MAC16:00 AM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 11 AM 191-MAC17:00 AM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov8:00 AM Democracy Now 191-MAC110:00 AM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC110:00 AM Sports Attack 187-MAC210:00 AM U. Tshp Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov10:30 AM Art Review 187-MAC211:00 AM Sacred Heart Parish 191-MAC111:00 AM The Vanisher 187-MAC212:00 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC212:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov12:30 PM Clare Ment. Health - EMT 191-MAC11:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC22:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC12:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC22:00 PM UT Board of Trustees 188-Gov2:30 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC23:00 PM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 9 AM 191-MAC14:00 PM Sacred Heart Parish 191-MAC14:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC25:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC15:00 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC25:15 PM What Should I Be... - Farmer 191-MAC15:30 PM Merry Xmas from Clare Book Club 191-MAC1

TUESDAY7:00 AM Trinity Church 191-MAC17:00 AM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov8:00 AM Democracy Now 191-MAC19:00 AM Faith Community Church 191-MAC110:00 AM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC110:00 AM Sports Attack 187-MAC210:30 AM Art Review 187-MAC211:00 AM Clare Ment. Health - Mindful... 191-MAC111:00 AM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC212:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov12:30 PM Disability Network 191-MAC112:30 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC21:00 PM Clare Ment. Health - Yoga 191-MAC11:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC22:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC12:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC22:00 PM UT Planning Commission 188-Gov2:30 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC23:00 PM Veterans Update 191-MAC13:51 PM AUMC 191-MAC14:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC25:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC15:00 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC25:00 PM MP Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov5:30 PM Clare Ment. Health - Music Ther 191-MAC17:00 PM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 9 AM 191-MAC17:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC27:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC28:00 PM MAC Gives Back: Clothing Inc. 191-MAC18:00 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC28:00 PM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov9:30 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC210:00 PM Democracy Now 191-MAC111:00 PM Grace Church 191-MAC111:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC2

ENTERTAINMENT 43ThePulse

THURSDAY12:54 AM MAC TV Zombie Film Fest. ‘14 191-MAC17:00 AM Trinity Church 191-MAC17:00 AM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov8:00 AM Democracy Now 191-MAC19:00 AM Faith Community Church 191-MAC110:00 AM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC110:00 AM Sports Attack 187-MAC210:00 AM UT Planning Commission 188-Gov10:30 AM Veterans Update 191-MAC110:30 AM Art Review 187-MAC211:00 AM Clare Ment. Health - Music Ther 191-MAC111:00 AM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC212:00 PM Clare Ment. Health - Yoga 191-MAC112:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov12:30 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC21:00 PM Disability Network 191-MAC11:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC22:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC12:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC22:30 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC23:00 PM Uncle Ducky 191-MAC13:56 PM AUMC 191-MAC14:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC25:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC15:00 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC26:00 PM Alma City Commission 191-MAC17:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC27:30 PM MAC Gives Back: Clothing Inc. 191-MAC17:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC28:00 PM Isabella County Reg Meeting 191-MAC18:00 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC29:30 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC210:00 PM Clare Ment. Health - Mindful... 191-MAC111:00 PM Grace Church 191-MAC111:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC2

FRIDAY1:00 AM IWE Battlezone TV - Wrestling 191-MAC13:13 AM Isabella County Work Session 191-MAC17:00 AM Trinity Church 191-MAC17:00 AM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov8:00 AM Democracy Now 191-MAC19:00 AM Sacred Heart Parish 191-MAC19:59 AM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC110:00 AM Sports Attack 187-MAC210:30 AM Art Review 187-MAC211:00 AM The Vanisher 187-MAC212:00 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC212:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov1:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC2

SATURDAY12:54 AM MAC TV Zombie Film Fest. ‘14 191-MAC17:00 AM Mt. Pleasant Planning Comm. 188-Gov9:00 AM Uncle Ducky 191-MAC19:30 AM Trinity Church 191-MAC110:00 AM Sports Attack 187-MAC210:00 AM U. Tshp Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov10:28 AM Clare Depot Receives Caboose 191-MAC110:30 AM Art Review 187-MAC210:50 AM Sacred Heart Parish 191-MAC111:00 AM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC211:49 AM Clare Ment. Health - Music Ther 191-MAC112:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov12:30 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC21:00 PM Alma City Commission 191-MAC11:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC22:00 PM Clare Ment. Health - Yoga 191-MAC12:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC22:00 PM UT Planning Commission 188-Gov2:30 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC23:00 PM Veterans Update 191-MAC14:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC25:00 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC25:00 PM MP Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov5:30 PM H.A.T.S. 191-MAC16:30 PM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 9 AM 191-MAC17:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC27:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC28:00 PM Clare Ment. Health - EMT 191-MAC18:00 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC28:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov9:30 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC210:00 PM Faith Community Church 191-MAC111:00 PM Grace Church 191-MAC111:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC2

6:00 PM MAC Gives Back: Girls on th Run 191-MAC16:30 PM Christian Music Videos 191-MAC16:58 PM Alma String Ass. Fall Concert 191-MAC17:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC27:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC28:00 PM Christian Music Videos 191-MAC18:00 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC28:30 PM Trinity Church 191-MAC19:30 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC210:00 PM Democracy Now 191-MAC111:00 PM Grace Church 191-MAC111:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC2

2:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC12:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC22:00 PM UT Board of Trustees 188-Gov2:30 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC22:58 PM Isabella County Reg Meeting 191-MAC13:50 PM What Should I Be... - Farmer 191-MAC14:00 PM Uncle Ducky 191-MAC14:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC24:30 PM Christian Music Videos 191-MAC15:00 PM Pleasant Chat 191-MAC15:00 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC25:00 PM MP Zoning Board of Appeals 188-Gov5:15 PM MAC Gives Back: Girls on th Run 191-MAC15:19 PM Clare Depot Receives Caboose 191-MAC15:30 PM Alma String Ass. Fall Concert 191-MAC16:30 PM Mt. Pleasant FUMC 11 AM 191-MAC17:00 PM Art Review 187-MAC27:30 PM Sports Attack 187-MAC28:00 PM AUMC 191-MAC18:00 PM Girls Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC28:00 PM Mt. Pleasant City Commission 188-Gov9:03 PM Merry Xmas from Clare Book Club 191-MAC19:30 PM Boys Basketball - Shep. v Alma 187-MAC210:00 PM Democracy Now 191-MAC111:00 PM Grace Church 191-MAC111:00 PM The Vanisher 187-MAC2

Subject to change - Visit www.mactvnetwork.org for most up-to-date schedule

OUTDOORS ThePulse44

Left Out in the Cold

Not too long ago my wife woke me up around 11:30 at night with the ominous words, “How asleep are you?” I don’t care who you are, these words can only mean one of two things, and it’s usually not good.

I was right, it wasn’t good. The blower on the furnace had stopped working. There was nothing we could do about it right then, so we threw an extra blanket on the bed and settled in for an interesting night. And while we were able to get the problem fixed in short order the next day, it reminded me of another time my wife and I slept through the cold.

Camping has been part of our family from day one. Well, technically about day three, but let’s not get literal. As my wife and I were still in college when we got married, we didn’t have

a lot of money, so we borrowed some camp-ing equipment, and our honeymoon was spent camping in Mackinaw City.

I was born and raised in the Central Michigan area. However, I really didn’t pay much attention to the “details” of what Michigan was. To me, Michigan was a state with four distinct seasons, and that was about it. I didn’t pay much atten-tion to the subtleties of one season merging into another. This set the stage for adventure number one, and set the bar for all of our other camping misadventures.

My wife is from southern Indiana, and we met in college, in central Tennessee, not far from Chattanooga. Southern Indiana doesn’t have “real” winter, and Tennessee has two seasons, hot, and not quite as hot. And in the three years we lived there before getting married, that reality quickly obscured any memories we had of any-where else.

On June 17, 1986, my new wife and I were set-ting up a tent a few short miles from both Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron. There weren’t many other people in the campground,, and we had

By KYLE HOWARD

The Accidental Outdoorsman - Follow on Twitter @pulseoutdoors50

one neighbor couple. That night, being northern Michigan in early

June, the temperatures did what temperatures do. They fell. And they fell hard, into the middle thirties! Somewhere in the middle of the night, with both of us looking like Smurfs, we crawled out of our thin sleeping bags, and spent the rest of the night, cramped and uncomfortable, in my parents minivan.

I will admit, it wasn’t the best way to show my new bride what a manly man I was, especially when we discovered that our neighbors had a power cord running into their tent to power their electric blanket. Due to my own igno-rance, we were woefully under-prepared in the way of warm clothing.

I’d love to say that the sun came up, the tem-peratures rose, and that night was quickly for-gotten. But I’m the Accidental Outdoorsman, so nothing can be so simple.

That morning was our scheduled trip to Mack-inac Island. And as I stated above, we were poor-ly prepared for the trip. We had one light jacket between us, and of course I insisted that we sit

OUTDOORS 45ThePulse

on the exposed top of the ferry as we rode to the island. I’m surprised she didn’t divorce me on the spot. But apparently her love for me was warmer than the surrounding temps.

The temperatures did eventually rise, and the rest of the trip was uneventful. But our honeymoon set the stage for who we are as a couple, and as a family. And over the years we’ve collected stories from our shared camping experiences. Each one is unique and special. Some are unpleasant, some are happy, some are goofy, and some, well, some will just warm your heart.

The Accidental Outdoorsman - Follow on Twitter @pulseoutdoors50

OUTDOORS ThePulse46

Outdoors with Chris Zimmerman

Bittersweet Ending - Remembering Sugar

When the vet called and said that there was a tumor behind Sugar’s eye, it almost took my breath away. This was the last straw in a litany of medi-cal issues my English setter had to endure.

Even though the tears welled up inside of me, I was able to muster up the courage to say “Put her down, Doc.”

After three years of medication for lupus, painful hip dysplasia, and a tail with no fur, I had seen my dog suffer enough.

The doctor – bless his heart – wanted to make arrangements right then and there. “Do you want to bury her someplace special?”

By this time, I was an emotional train wreck. “We have lots of special places,” I said, fighting back the tears.

“Maybe you’d like to spread her ashes in a favorite hunting spot?”Even though I wanted to say, “We have lots of favorite hunting spots,” I was silenced by the sad-

ness of the situation. The doctor picked up on my reeling emotions and said, “We’ll take care of everything.”“Thank you,” I said as I hung up the phone. And so it went. Sugar was only five years old. The little dog with so much promise had taken the last walk over the rainbow bridge, as the saying

By CHRIS ZIMMERMAN

goes. There were lots of special places I could have buried her, some

were close to Mt. Pleasant, others were far away. We had cov-ered the miles, Sugar and me, and we had many great times together chasing grouse and pheasants.

She was more than just a hunting dog. As far as personalities go, she was very calm around the house, and in the company of others. When we weren’t hunting, I believe her favorite pastime was to sprawl on the kitchen floor and watch me make dinner. Her head went back and forth as she followed me from the stove to the refrigerator to the table and back again. In that set-ting, she always had one paw draped over her other, prim and proper. She was always such a lady – who hardly ever barked and very, very seldom showed any aggression.

Her daddy was a champion in the field trial circuits, where dogs are judged on their ability to find birds. Like her daddy, she was known as a “big runner,” which meant that she liked to run far ahead of me.

Fall 2015. Sugar takes a break near the Chippewa River.

OUTDOORS 47ThePulse

Outdoors with Chris Zimmerman

For a lot of hunters, she ran too far ahead, but I was okay with it. She had a knack of pointing birds, and holding them until I arrived. Her last hunt in North Dakota was quite memorable, because she only had the use of three legs. I don’t remember how many pheasants we killed that day, but I do remember how hard she hunted. It was painful to watch her labor under those conditions, but at the same time, I was proud of her because she refused to quit.

The guys I was with had to tip their hats in Sugar’s direction. “That’s one tough dog right there,” they said.

Some of my best memories of Sugar took place on state land, east of Mt. Pleasant. There aren’t a lot of birds in that country, but because it’s so close to home, it sure is handy. She had a way of pinning back her ears and covering half of western Midland County with those long strides and fur a-flying. There’s nothing quite as beautiful as an English setter crisscrossing the coverts, with that wonderful long

Better days along the tracks in North Dakota.

tail swishing back and forth. In Sugar’s little world, finding birds was more important than locating them after they had been

shot. Retrieving was someone else’s responsibility. I was okay with that arrangement, because she was so good at finding game.

Sugar was part of the family and now that she’s gone, there’s an empty spot in our hearts. Her lit-tle resting spot in the kitchen seems vacant. The grouse covers in Oil City will never have a blur of white lightning coursing through their understory. My memories of pheasants in the heartland will fade away as new adventures unfold.

That’s how life goes for a lot of bird hunters; memories are measured by lives of our canine com-panions. Oil City and the faraway states will always be there, but there’s no telling how many more years I will. Time marches on, for me, for my dogs, and for the memories we make. I’m finding it hard to believe that Sugar was my sixth bird dog. Seems like just the other day I was breaking in my first.

It was a bittersweet ending for Sugar. I’m sorry to see her go, but at the same time, I know that she no longer suffers.

Chris Zimmerman is the author of six Michigan-based novels and an independent insurance agent in Shepherd. Look for his outdoors column every other week in the The Pulse.

WORD PUZZLES ThePulse48

COMICS 49ThePulse

COMICS ThePulse50

COMICS 51ThePulse

BACK PAGE ThePulse52

Broadway looking East - approx 1922

Documents

March 3 2016 The Pulse