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RCS students raise crucial funds during annual bike-a-thon
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Rockford Christian School students participate in the school’s annual bike-a-thon to raise much-needed funds.
Almost $18,000 was raised by the student body at Rockford Christian School (RCS) during their third annual bike-a-thon. Over 60 percent of the students participated in the event, with each student averaging $123 in donations.
This year’s bike-a-thon kicked off the first full week of school in September. Students were given a few weeks to collect pledges or donations. The event was scheduled for October 3, but, due to the inclement weather, was postponed until October 10. More than 145 students rode, bladed or walked for their pledges.
To inspire the middle school students, eighth-grade science teacher, David Buth, an avid bike rider, tallied his miles for the month of September and challenged the middle school students to match his miles. He logged just over 1,000 miles for the month of September, challenging each middle school student to ride at least 15.5 miles. The students logged a total of 727 miles. Students who met the 15.5-mile challenge will enjoy a fitness-feast with Mr. Buth.
Event coordinator Amy VanOrman said, “The amazing community support for this event is humbling. Since this is our only fundraiser for the year, we rely heavily on student participation and corporate donations. It’s a blessing to be part of something so wonderful.”
The collected monies are used to fund school opportunities like field trips, grade-level environmental projects, tuition, and the school benevolence fund as well as other school-wide programs and equipment needs. For more information about RCS, please contact Principal Jan VanderWerp at (616) 574-6400.
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MS—The end or the beginning?
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Cathy and Joe Schmitt
Multiple sclerosis (MS), the disease of the nervous system, may have finally met its match. Cathy Schmitt, originally from the Grand Rapids area and now living in Grand Blanc, is betting the end is near.
Cathy was diagnosed with MS approximately 10 years ago. Since then she, along with her family, has watched her steady deterioration; now she is bound to a wheel chair. Once a vivacious wife, mother and professional woman, she is now fighting for her life.
Recently, Cathy found out about the Cell Medicine Clinic in Costa Rica. Cell Medicine Clinic is at the cutting edge of breakthrough stem cell research for a variety of neurological diseases and injuries. For MS patients, they extract stem cells from the fatty tissues around the buttocks and hips. They combine this with donated stem cells from cord blood of other non-embryonic sources. Together these cells make a powerful potion that regenerates the cell structure and begins to reverse the nerve cell scarring affects of MS. The clinic is very cautious with this approach and tells all potential patients that these treatments are experimental, not recognized by the United States medical community, and carry with them several risks. But for patients like Cathy Schmitt, the risks are worth it.
Cathy and her husband Joe are devout Christians. They studied the issues regarding this treatment, learned as much as they could, and prayed for guidance. They are convinced that this decision is provided to them and are very hopeful of the outcome.
Now the Schmitt family, a well-known west-side household, is reaching out to friends and extended family members to come to a fundraising party for Cathy on November 21 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1140 Muskegon NW, Grand Rapids. The event runs from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m. A live auction, silent auction, raffles and other activities will keep people entertained and in a generous mood. The cost for the treatment is around $80,000, including travel and housing while there. Donations can be made by check payable to KC 3104 (with Cathy Schmitt on the memo line), and may be dropped off at any FifthThird Bank or mailed to Virginia Schmitt, 450 Marsh Ridge NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.
MS has plagued man for as long as anyone can remember. It lacked a name until 1868, when Jean-Martin Charcot, a professor of neurology at the University of Paris, who has been called “the father of neurology,” carefully examined a young woman with a tremor of a sort he had never seen before. He noted her other neurological problems, including slurred speech and abnormal eye movements, and compared them to those of other patients he had seen. When she died, he examined her brain and found the characteristic scars or “plaques” of MS. So the disease had been named from the many scars found widely dispersed throughout the central nervous system, but usually found to be arrayed in a symmetrical pattern near the cerebrum’s lateral ventricles.
Multiple sclerosis affects 2.5 million people worldwide, including 400,000 Americans.
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Classifieds — November 18, 2009
HELP WANTED
CNA or MA with current certification and one year experience. Part-time 3rd shift Bishop Hills Elder Community, 4951 11 Mile Rd., Rockford, MI. b47
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CRAFTS
9th Annual Holiday Bazaar—Saturday, November 21, 2009, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Courtland Oakfield United Methodist Church, 10295 Myers Lake Ave., Rockford (between 12 Mile and 13 Mile). Many crafters, Grandma’s Attic, bake sale, silent auction, cookies by the pound, lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. b47
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FOR SALE
Two 12-inch Pioneer dual chamber sub-woofer speakers, in “like new” condition. Paid $300 new, asking $150. Call (616) 636-2697. f47
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Bradford White 40-gallon fuel oil water heater. $200 obo. (616) 866-9807. b47
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Mattresses: R.C.D. Direct Wholesale at 1803 Plainfield NE will beat any Corsicanna dealer’s price. See store for details or call (616) 682-4767. p48
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Mattresses: All new sets. Twin $100, full $125, queen $150, king $195; pillowtops $190, full $170. Call (616) 293-5188 or (616) 293-6160. p48
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Memory Foam Mattress helps relieve back pain! Never used. Queen $595, king $695. Call (616) 293-5188 or (616) 293-6160. p48
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ANTIQUES
Antique Victorian desk, 5 ft. tall, 4-1/2 ft. wide and 2-1/2 ft. deep, $775. Call (616) 866-1478 and leave a message. ftfn
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FOR RENT
Three-bedroom walk-out basement in Tri-County schools area. $680/mo. (616) 636-5098. p49
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Perfect for one person, charming upstairs studio apt. in beautiful and quiet Victorian home, located at 64 E. Maple, Cedar Springs. $475/mo. includes all utilities, trash pick-up and snow removal. Laundry room on location. No smoking or pets. (616) 696-9393. b47cp
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Spacious upstairs 2-bedroom apt. in beautiful and quiet Victorian home, located at 110 N. Park, Cedar Springs. Laundry room on location. One-stall garage included. $675/mo. No pets, no smoking. (616) 696-9393. b47cp
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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE OR RENT
7 to 20 acres, Big Rapids, Stanwood, Howard City. $500 down, 10 acres starting at $22,900, $250/mo., 11%, 5-year payoff. Blacktop. Surveyed wooded building sites. Owner/Broker, Chase, call (616) 204-4550 or (231) 629-2944. b50
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CLASSES AND LESSONS
Guitar Lessons—Learn guitar the RIGHT way and enjoy it for a lifetime. Lessons also on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, etc. Call Joe (616) 874-8582. btfn
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SERVICES
Fall’s in gear! Do not fear! Dirt Buster’s Yard Cleaning is here! Reasonable rates. Call Melody or Bruce, (231) 250-9487 or (616) 799-0912. p47
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Holiday cleaning! I will make your place shine! Reasonable, reliable, references. Call Melody, (231) 250-9487. p47
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I’ll design your flier, brochure, business card for a low rate! Other graphic design also available. Over 18 years experience. Professional design guaranteed. Flier design starting at $30. References available. Call Melanie Ragsdale at (616) 889-9082 or view design samples online at ragsdaledesign.com. ftfn
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LOST AND FOUND
FOUND—young, gray, long-hair cat, found around 11 Mile and Young area. (616) 874-8284. ftfn
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FOUND—Did your child lose money while trick-or-treating? Call and identify amount and approximate location. (616) 866-6565. ftfn
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FOUND—tripod found by the Rockford dam Sunday, November 1, late afternoon. Call and identify. (616) 240-1175. ftfn
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LOST—domestic short-hair cat, dark smoky gray, 8 years old. Very friendly. Answers to the name of “Smokey.” Last seen on 14 Mile, between Wabasis and Heintzelman. (616) 843-1020. ftfn
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LOST—two teenagers’ purses in downtown Rockford pavilion on Sunday, October 11. Call (616) 874-2632 or (616) 970-2632. ftfn
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LOST—cat, orange and white tiger, striped front paws, declawed. Last seen at Wolven and 11 Mile Rd. Call (616) 863-8278. ftfn
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LOST—spayed female cat, silver-gray with black stripes. Last seen in Summit/Prospect area. Call (616) 866-1625. ftfn
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LOST—full-grown, neutered, yellow and white tabby cat. Last seen in area of Ramsdell and Harvard. Call (616) 754-7900. ftfn
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LOST—orange cat with white paws and white chest. Lost by Peachtree and Natchez Court. Comes to the name of “Ginger.” Reward. Call (616) 826-9785 or (616) 884-0068. ftfn
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FOUND—yellow Lab/Siberian husky mix at Thunder Hawk resort in Pierson on Sunday, June 21. Call to identify, (616) 788-9725. ftfn
PETS AND SUPPLIES
Free to a good home only—female AKC-registered, salt-and-pepper, 6-year-old mini-schnauzer. (616) 821-3204. ftfn.
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Free kittens—playful indoor kittens, three girls, two boys. Litter-trained, free to indoor homes. (616) 866-8633. ftfn
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Free—one calico cat, 2 to 3 years old, indoor/outdoor, plays well with kids. (616) 696-9225. ftfn
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The Rockford Squire’s “Free” and “Lost & Found” classified ads are free of charge. Call (616) 866-4465 by noon on Monday to place your ad in next Thursday’s issue.
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Cedar Sapiens set roots at Credit Union
Cassandra Chartier, Pauline Merren and Josh Fortuna of Rockford Community Federal Credit Union show one of their Cedar Sapiens created by Georgia Donovan.
by ANA OLVERA
Placed outside of Rockford Community Federal Credit Union, at 3 N. Monroe St., are five Cedar Sapiens. They were created by Georgia Donovan, a member at the credit union.
Donovan entered the Cedar Sapiens in the Art Prize 2009 contest. Her entry placed in the top 50 out of 1,218 entries. Her artwork, titled “Cedar Sapiens—Dance of the Tree People,” was placed at The B.O.B.
“Now they’ve planted their roots in Rockford,” said Cassandra Chartier, a staff member at the credit union. The Cedar Sapiens were moved to Rockford at the end of October.
“Rockford is all about uniqueness and we wanted to get people talking around town,” said Josh Fortuna, another staff member.
The Cedar Sapiens will keep the public up to date on the upcoming events at the credit union. “We love them. They’re great conversation starters,”
said Chartier.
One of the Cedar Sapiens, “Pat,” was dressed as a witch for Halloween. Currently she is dressed as a Rockford Ram cheerleader while the marquee sign reads, “Go Rams!” Rockford Community Federal Credit Union will take ideas from the public on how to dress the Cedar Sapiens. The credit union can be contacted through their website, rcfcumember.com, by phone at (616) 866-8570, or one can stop by.
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New dentist takes over retired Conklin’s practice
IT’S A DEAL—Dr. John Conklin (right) closes the deal of turning over his dental practice to Dr. Douglas Martin on the golf course.
Douglas Martin grew up just 120 miles from Rockford, but after he earned his doctorate in dentistry, the Air Force and his following career took him all over the country. Now, with 23 years of experience and with plenty of progressive West Coast practices to offer, he has taken over the general dentistry office of Dr. John Conklin, who spent his entire career working from downtown Rockford.
Some people are still moving to Michigan for work. Serving as proof is Rockford’s newest dentist, Dr. Martin, who came here in part because of a position his wife was offered as dean at Grand Rapids Community College. Martin said the Midwest is very solid in dentistry and the Grand Rapids area in particular has much to offer. He also hoped to return to the area to be closer to family. Finding a dentist who hoped to find a replacement so he could retire was a perfect fit.
Dr. Conklin, with an office located at 112 Monroe St., has been serving his patients for many years and is known for his passion of golf. He and Martin even officially shook on the agreement over the practice while on a golf course. Martin said he thought this a fitting gesture, given Conklin’s fondness for the game. Now retired, Conklin will likely have more time for the sport and add to his lifetime seven holes-in-one.
Martin aspired to a career in dentistry because it fit in with his interest in science, his desire to help people, and his desire to be his own businessman. A native of Wisconsin, he graduated from the University of Marquette and looked to the military to offer him his start. “To start from scratch can take a long time,” he said of his profession. Martin said new dentists can sometimes make a go of a practice in a suburb of a large city, such as Dallas, Texas, or in a town that is small and has no dentist. Usually, though, it is tough to start out cold. “That’s why so many dentists form a partnership when they are young.”
Martin’s partnership with the United States was the success he’d hoped. As a commissioned officer, he built up the experience and skills for his own successful practice. The Air Force brought him to Denver, Colo. There he enjoyed private practice for 23 years while raising a family with wife Cindy.
As their children grew and began heading off to college, the couple longed to return to their Midwest roots. When Martin heard of Conklin’s plans to retired, he hoped Rockford would be the home base for the rest of his career. He opened doors October 1 and spent some time updating operations of the office.
Kathryn Ricker, long-time front desk person for the office, jumped right in to new computerization of patient files and billing. “The office had been using the old pegboard system,” Martin noted. “I don’t know why its called that. There is no peg and no board. The ledger system included accounts on file cards and handwritten bills. I came from a large practice. Kathryn has helped a lot and it’s working extremely well,” Martin said of the new programming.
Martin hopes to offer more than just electronic record keeping to the Rockford area, and is confident his 23 years in the progressive west will be a benefit to his patients. As a general dentist, Martin offers everything from teeth cleaning, root canal filing therapy and up to basic oral surgery. “I don’t knock people out,” he said. “They are conscious when they are in my chair.” He is very proud of his nearly painless injection technique. He also is pleased to bring top-notch cosmetic work to his patients and will work with labs in California, known in the profession to be among the best in the country.
Martin plans to join the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and be a supportive member of the town’s business community. He expected to enjoy his return to this part of the country and hasn’t been disappointed.
“My patients seem to be responding well to me. I think we are building good relationships,” Martin said.
The happy surprise to his move is how he feels going to work in downtown Rockford. “When I get out of the car at the office, there is a feeling of peace and tranquility that my soul feels when I am here.”
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