JOHN CAN’T WIN—But you can. One lucky finalist will have the chance to win a 2010 Chevy Malibu just like this one at this year’s Community Expo on Saturday, March 20.

“There will be very, very good odds,” Decker said of the opportunity that one Expo visitor will walk away with a 2010 Chevy Malibu. Decker said he has been offering a free car for various golf outings for a hole in one and has never given a car away. The winner will be responsible only for the tax, license and insurance costs.

Those who walk away without a new car will not leave empty-handed. Four people will win $500 in cash and there will be other prizes throughout the day. Many of the nearly 200 exhibitors will have giveaways or prize drawings.

New this year is what visitors will take away in smarts. Throughout the day free educational workshops will be held. Visitors can sit in and learn about real estate investing, financial tips, estate planning, sources of toxins in the home, staying young your first 100 years, and more.

“It will all be really good information,” said Brenda Davis, executive director of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

In its sixth year, the Expo is again a sellout for exhibitors, and each year the attendance has increased. Last year just under 11,000 people attended the event. Local celebrities, mascots, live radio remotes, and non-stop entertainment by Rockford students are among attractions.

“We have a wonderful community. We are well-supported in all our events, not just Expo,” Davis said of the popularity of the annual event.

Starting at 10 a.m. and on the hour up to 2 p.m., two entries will be drawn as semifinalist for the free Malibu drawing. Visitors need not be present to be chosen as a semifinalist, but need to be on hand at 2:30 p.m. when the single finalist is chosen.

The lucky person will draw from 20 envelopes. Two of the 20 will be matching and indicate the car. If the person draws the right two, they will win the $25,000 vehicle.

“These are probably better odds than the golf outing hole-in-one odds,” Decker said. “I really want to give away a car.”

Mark Dwayne McCuaig

During a court appearance Wednesday, March 3, for driving on a suspended license, Mark Dwayne McCuaig, 41, who uses addresses in both Rockford and Greenville, was ordered into custody for contempt of court.

According to Montcalm County Undersheriff Mark Bellinger, as McCuaig was being taken from Montcalm 64B District Court to the lock-up room, he struggled with the officer and fled through the door into the courtroom. Once in the courtroom, an assistant Montcalm County prosecutor and a state corrections officer, who was serving as a juror, stopped him. When they let McCuaig up to be taken into custody, he took off on foot.

“At this time, the court officer deployed his Taser with no effect,” said Bellinger. The man then fled to the front door of the court complex where a second court officer confronted him. Mace was deployed on the suspect and he ran through the front doors into the parking lot.

Police said McCuaig got into a van owned by a friend and locked the doors as officers approached. He then started the van, and as he backed out of the parking spot, officers broke out the driver’s window and deployed another Taser. The suspect then went forward and out of the parking lot on to south M-66.

The Stanton Police Chief spotted the vehicle and took up the pursuit. The vehicle was chased on various back roads, with speeds approaching 80 miles per hour, heading in a southwest direction toward Greenville.

A Michigan State Police trooper slowed the suspect by putting down stop sticks on Peck Road, between M-91 and Vining Road. However, McCuaig was only a short distance from his home. He drove up to the house and barricaded himself inside the home.

Bellinger said authorities tried to contact the suspect to no avail. “Due to the concern that the suspect would cause injury to himself, an entry team of four officers and a K-9 team was formed and entered the home,” he explained.

McCuaig then fled the home and into a pole barn garage where he had earlier started a 1971 Dodge motor home. As officers attempted to stop McCuaig through the driver’s side window, he backed up the motor home, put the vehicle into forward gear, and drove out of the closed garage door and into the front of a Montcalm County patrol vehicle.

The suspect then drove west on Peck Road and struck a Greenville Department of Public Safety patrol car at the intersection of Peck and M-91. He then turned south on M-91 and struck another Department of Public Safety vehicle several times in the rear.

McCuaig then turned the motor home around and headed north on M-91, until a Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office Ford Expedition patrol vehicle forced the motor home off the west side of the road into a snowy field, where it stopped.

The suspect fled on foot, and another Taser was deployed, which brought

McCuaig to the ground, where he was apprehended and taken to the Montcalm County Jail.

An officer from the Greenville Department of Public Safety was transported to Spectrum Hospital in Greenville for injuries he sustained when the suspect struck the rear of his vehicle.

During the chase, two Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles were damaged along with three Greenville Department of Public Safety patrol vehicles.

Also assisting deputies in the chase were officers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The Montcalm County Prosecutor’s Office is charging McCuaig with seven counts of resisting and obstructing a police officer, five counts of fleeing a police officer, five counts of malicious destruction to a police vehicle, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of unauthorized driving away of a motor vehicle, one count of malicious destruction of a building, and one count of assaulting or obstructing a police officer.

McCuaig is lodged in the Montcalm County Jail in lieu of posting a $500,000 bond. His exam on the charges is set for Monday, March 15.

The Rockford School of Dance Junior team.

RSOD is thrilled with their success, as all their dance numbers have qualified for the July 2010 DanceAmerica nationals at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The Primary team was awarded first-place trophies for both their tap and jazz performances to “Little Bitty Pretty One” and “3-6-9,” as well as an Overall High Score Line merit award for Primary/Junior “Little Bitty Pretty One.”

Members of the RSOD Primary team are Madelyn Butts, Carmen Goodson, Kelsey Howard, Whitney Howard, Arianna Hyink, Kalyn Jones, Kassidi Krzykwa, Madeline Konsdorf, Hannah Miller, Madeline Newman, Emily Page, Jillian Roney, Madison Schilling, Haley Smith, Sydney Stites, Annika Trierweiler and Isabel Wood.

The Rockford School of Dance Advanced team.

The Junior team received a first-place trophy for their tap dance, “Wall Street,” as well as an Overall High Score Large Group merit award for Primary/Junior and Best Precision award.

They also received a third-place trophy for their ballet performance of “Pokinoi” and a fourth-place trophy for their jazz dance “Make Me.”

Members of the RSOD Junior team are Abigail Anthony, Brianna Brugel, Lauren Dilly, Jacklyn Eding, Ilene Gould, Alexis Hall, Hali Maybank, Amanda Schultz, Ashley Serbenta and Paige Wolterstorff.

The Advanced team brought home two first-place trophies for their jazz performance of “My Same” and tap dance to “PYT,” which also earned an overall award for Best Precision Intermediate/Senior.

The RSOD Advanced team members are Ona Andrews, Ashley Day, Kendall DeVries, Anna Dood, Savanna Fisher, Kara Greenberg, Kenzie Hansen, Shannon Kelly, Hannah Maroe, David Maybank, Riley Thomas, Kaylin Walters and Hanna Watters.

The Junior and Advanced teams combined forces for a jazz production number to “Glee” and “Steppin’ Out” tap production performance. Both dances received second-place trophies.

Several RSOD competitors performed solos and duos. David Maybank’s “100 in a 55” received a first-place trophy and he also qualified for DanceAmerica’s prestigious Dancer of the Year program, as did Kaylin Walters, who also received a third-place trophy for her “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” performance.

Kara Greenberg’s “I Want to Go to Hollywood” received third place, Kenzie Hansen’s “Flashback” received fifth place, Shannon Kelley’s “On A Cloud,” Ashley Day’s “Declaration of Love” and Hannah Maroe’s “Almost Like Being In Love” all received merit awards.

Ona Andrews and Hannah Watters’ “Black & Gold” duo performance received a first-place award, and Ashley Serbenta and Paige Wolterstorff’s “Let It Go” earned a second-place trophy.

Rockford School of Dance also earned the Spirit Award, representing great sportsmanship throughout the weekend.

The speaker this year is Vern Oosterhouse, who is a hunting and fishing guide in Alaska. He will tell about and show pictures of his experiences.

Tickets are $5. To purchase or reserve tickets, please call the church office at (616) 866-1274 or Pastor Dave at (616) 866-4760. Please bring a wild game dish to pass. Dishes at past dinners have included caribou, elk, bear, moose and always plenty of venison.

There will be wild game mounts, displays and door prizes. The church is located at 10515 Grange Avenue NE, south of 13 Mile Road, between Algoma Avenue and Pine Island Drive. Everyone is welcome!

Heugel was arraigned in the 63rd District Court and bond was set at $5,000 personal recognizance.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department believes Heugel may have performed these procedures on many unsuspecting victims. Anyone who has additional information regarding Heugel and his performing illegal medical procedures is encouraged to contact Detective Ed Kolakowski at (616) 336-5179, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office at (616) 632-6100, or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.

It looks like we may see a health insurance reform bill get through Congress. It won’t be what the President wanted, and not what the Republicans wanted. He wants reform; they seem to want nothing at all—except to please the insurance companies and make the President look ineffective. We’ll get the mangled version of several bills, one of which may run to 2,700 pages. No wonder we need lawyers to figure things out; they’re the ones who write this stuff.

Last week my health insurance company cancelled my policy and the next day the pharmacy said my prescription would cost $275. I think we need some kind of reform.

Nap time

An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. The homeowner could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home.

He followed the lady into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep on the couch. An hour later, he went to the door, and she let him out.

The next day he was back, resumed his position on the couch and slept for an hour.

This continued for several weeks. Curious, the lady pinned a note to his collar: “Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.”

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: “He lives in a home with four children—he’s trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?”

Not on the sparrow?

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note and placed it on the apple tray: “Take only ONE. God is watching.”

Moving farther along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.

A child had posted a note: “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”

Top gun

Moses, Jesus and some old geezer were going to play a round of golf. Moses teed off and the ball went right into the pond. “No problem!” he said.

Moses walked over, parted the water, and hit the ball again. This time it landed about one foot from the hole.

Jesus then teed off and the ball went flying off to the left, hit a tree, then miraculously bounced to within six inches of the hole.

The old geezer stepped up and teed off. As the ball headed straight for the pond, a huge bass jumped up and grabbed the ball in its mouth. Suddenly an eagle swooped down, grabbed the bass and flew over the green. The bass dropped the ball and it rolled to within two inches of the hole. All of the sudden, a worm popped up and knocked the ball in—a hole in one!

Moses looked at Jesus and said, “You know, I really hate it when your dad plays.”

Chris Bell, Sean McLellan, Nanci Oostdyk, Walt Wagner

17th

Dick Pierce, Jenni Ruehs, Mitchell R. Thome, Ryan Winicki

18th

Dee Cusack, Shirley Pearson, Marc Tidey

19th

Jean Moerman

The income tax business is one of eternal learning. If it’s possible to keep your brain young by always learning, tax professionals’ brains should never get old—tired, maybe, but not old.

Jerry Coon, Enrolled Agent

Tax laws change constantly, both at the federal level and at the Michigan level. We get e-mail newsletters from a variety of sources, and it seems that these newsletters always have new information. It’s not unusual to get 20 pages in a week, explaining the latest changes and clarifications. However, we also read newsletters and books, attend seminars and conferences, and watch DVDs and videos that don’t have one new thing in them. They are all about current and old laws. It’s all about learning more about these current and old laws, so that we can help our clients navigate through our very complicated tax system.

I read in one of those newsletters that there are currently over 14,000 pages in the Internal Revenue Service’s publications and regulations. I can’t verify that figure, but I also don’t doubt it for one minute. I have a reproduction of the 1913 Form 1040 hanging on my office wall. That first Form 1040 was a grand total of one page. The attachments and instructions are a grand total of three more pages. We have gone from four pages up to a potential 14,000 pages in less than 100 years and, unfortunately, the 14,000 pages seems reasonably accurate to me.

Some of those 14,000 pages deal with Individual Retirement Accounts and retirement accounts. There are many experts in the field and there have been a myriad of books written on the subject.

One of the country’s foremost experts on the topic of IRAs is Ed Slott. He has written a multitude of books, gives seminars throughout the year, and writes one of those newsletters I discussed earlier. Mr. Slott is a proponent of education, education, education and more education, not only for tax professionals but also for taxpayers. As taken from his book, “Stay Rich for Life, Growing & Protecting Your Money in Turbulent Times,” Ed’s five steps to financial security are as follows:

1. Know who you are and where you are.

2. Educate yourself.

3. Avoid mistakes.

4. Don’t be shortsighted.

5. Take action in small, consistent steps.

You can’t make these five steps work without educating yourself or, perhaps to put it another way, by doing these five steps, you will educate yourself.

Know who you are and where you are—By working through this step, you find out what type of person you are, what type of investor you are, and you will know exactly what your situation is at the current time.

Educate yourself—Discovering the items in the first step will automatically lead to the second step, and you will become educated. If you are going to hire someone as an advisor, you will do a better job of picking that person because you have knowledge. If you decide to manage your assets yourself, this education will give you a fighting chance of making good choices.

Avoid mistakes—As your knowledge in this important area grows, your choices become better and you will avoid making mistakes. In these turbulent investing times, it is absolutely critical that you don’t make a mistake. His definition of a mistake would include investing in something that is too good to be true. Most Ponzi schemes entice people to invest in a product that is too good to be true or entice people to invest with a person who is too good to be true. Neither is a good reason to invest. As you become educated, you stand a better chance of not making that crucial mistake.

Don’t be shortsighted—By taking the long-term approach, you will make better decisions for the long term and you will avoid the short-term mistakes as noted in step three. Education will cause the thought process of making decisions to be based on the long term.

Finally, step five says to take action in small, consistent steps. Very few people strike it rich in one fell swoop. It happens when someone wins the lottery or when they buy a stock that takes off. These are lightening-in-the-bottle types of events and they do happen. They just don’t seem to happen to you and me. Most of us have to build a plan and stick with it over a very long period of time. By being better educated, those small, consistent steps will lead to a great future. Education is the key. This is Jerry Coon signing off.

Jerry Coon is an Enrolled Agent. Action Tax Service is located on Northland Drive in Rockford. Contact Jerry at Action’s website at www.actiontaxservice.com.

Mrs. Mary Berry, age 96, of Rockford went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 7, 2010. She grew up in Plainfield Township, where her father was a truck farmer. She attended Western Michigan University and worked at Wolverine World Wide.

On October 28, 1938, Mary married Lyle, and they also had a farm with Mary helping whenever she was needed. They raised cattle, and Mary supplemented the family income by making and selling butter and eggs. She was the caregiver for both sets of parents, Randall and Berry. They were a close-knit family, all living nearby.

For 13 years, Mary worked as a cook for Rockford Public Schools, retiring in 1974. She was a life-long member of Rockford United Methodist Church, volunteered at the North Kent Service Center, and was a second-generation member of the Monday Club.

Until the day of her death, Mary was in total control of her life. She was an eclectic and avid reader, oftentimes reading a book a day. Even with arthritis, Mary did beautiful needlework and ceramics, making cherished gifts for family and friends. Throughout her life, she had cats who were always her companions, and each one was very special. Mary was a very detailed person, and this trait has been passed on to her devoted children.

Mary is survived by her children, Sue and Ray Pletcher of Madison, Ohio, John and Sandy Berry of Munford, Ala., Paul and Barbara Berry of Rockford; daughter-in-law, Mrs. Doris Hickerson; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; sister, Mrs. June Davis; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle Berry; her son, Bud Berry; brothers, Donald Randall and Eric Randall; and sister, Kay Tomaszewski.

The service for Mrs. Berry is Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at the Pederson Funeral Home with Pastor Jan Rogacki officiating. Interment is in Blythefield Memory Gardens. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider North Kent Service Center.

Arrangements were made by Pederson Funeral Home, Rockford.

Carpenter

Mrs. Inez P. Carpenter, age 92, of Fruitport died Wednesday, March 3, 2010. She was born in Kent City, Mich., on April 29, 1917, to Arthur Leroy and Ruby (Monroe) Walcott, and married Walter Carpenter on August 30, 1940.

Mrs. Carpenter had been employed as an executive secretary at Consumers Power for many loyal years until retiring in 1972. She was a charter member of Pine River Association and PTA and an active Girl Scouts leader. Inez was an avid hunter and fisherman. She will be dearly missed.

Surviving are her grandchildren, Allen Carpenter of Muskegon, Belinda Carpenter of Mo., Evan Carpenter of Ill.; great-grandchildren, Howard, Jonathen, Adam, Jacob and Mallory; and three great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter; son, William; daughter, Beverly; and brother, Ivan Walcott.

Per the family’s request, no services will be held. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.

Arrangements were made by Clock Life Story Funeral Home, Fruitport.

Anna Johnson as Annie Sullivan along with Laura Johnson as Kate Keller struggle to control an angry Helen Keller, played by Ellie Awad.

“The Miracle Worker” is the true story of Helen Keller, who was born a healthy child, only to be stricken at age 19 months with a severe illness which left her blind, deaf and mute. The play carries the audience into the daily disappointments and then into the miraculous breakthrough of the young Helen Keller at the guidance of her teacher Anne Sullivan, who is remembered as the “miracle worker” for her lifetime dedication, patience and love to a half-wild southern child trapped in a world of darkness.

Pre-sale tickets are $10 and are on sale at the Cedar Springs Library and Cedar Springs Chase Bank. Tickets are $12 at the door. Tickets are also available from any cast member. Go to the Players website at www.cscommunityplayers.org or call (616) 696-0456 for more information on this family friendly show. Kent Theatre is located on Main Street, downtown Cedar Springs.