NEW POST COMMANDER—Chris McIntire began his trooper career at the Rockford State Police Post. Now he has returned as commander.

by BETH ALTENA

First Lieutenant Chris McIntire is back where he started his career with the Michigan State Police. The new commander of the Rockford Post first worked as a trooper here after graduating from the Michigan State Police training academy in Lansing in 1993. In between he has enjoyed a gamut of duties and adventures.

McIntire is pleased with the position, which he said allows him to interact with the public, work closely with the Michigan Department of Transportation and visit local townships to find out where law enforcement needs to concentrate more effort.

The married father of three  girls comes with many bona fides. After working as a trooper here, in 1997 he went on to work in-and later ran-a narcotics unit. While working that assignment, he grew his hair out to shoulder-length and spent his time “buying dope in the seediest parts of the city.” (Not this city.)

McIntire is also a graduate of the FBI’s law enforcement program at Quantico, Virginia. There, a grueling military-style training regimen brought him into contact with law enforcement officers from all over the world.

McIntire was at Quantico for three months taking Masters-level courses. He told of the fascination participants from Africa had with the January snowfall. He said the Africans were out in the snow, trying to make snowmen, but had no idea how.

“Some of us had to go out and show them how to roll the snow into balls because they had never seen snow before,” he said.

McIntire also worked for one and a half years in Ionia on a fugitive team and in Newaygo as a sergeant. In 2004 he was the section commander of a narcotics unit.

After spending the last two years commuting from Sparta to Lansing, he was asked if he would return to the Rockford Post as commander.

During his years in law enforcement, McIntire has had many moments of satisfaction. He said the desire to help people is the reason he joined the profession. He shared one encounter while a trooper here in Rockford that he said still warms his heart.

An older woman living on Bostwick Lake was terrified because she kept getting hang-up calls. She thought she was being stalked. McIntire said he went to her house and sat, waiting for a call, while enjoying her coffee and baked goods. It turned out the calls were telemarketers and not a threat to her life. The woman was very grateful. “For me that was one of the most satisfying. She had been truly terrified. I sat with her and explained it to her. The smile on her face was very rewarding and I enjoyed her delicious coffee cake.”

McIntire said his choice of career was right for him and could be right for many young people deciding what to do with their lives. “I’ve been in law enforcement 23 years and I would recommend it to anyone,” he said. He began his career in the Air Force, which allowed him to go to college. He spent some of those Air Force years with drug dogs in the jungles of the Philippines.

As the Rockford Post Commander McIntire works with 24 troopers, five sergeants, one detective sergeant, three motor carrier officers, a post chaplain, among others. The post is responsible for registering sex offenders and one officer works that full time, investigating as many as ten tips a day of sex offenders possibly not living where they registered.

There is also a dog handler with his German Shepherd, Diesel, and SWAT team members. Michigan State Police officers are also able to take assignments outside their post, such as working on a narcotics or fugitive team.

As post commander, McIntire is not yet out of options for promotion with the Michigan State Police. The paramilitary organization is quite complex.  In addition to the field services bureau  there is also a state services bureau which houses such units as the bomb squad and the forensics lab, and an administrative bureau which takes care of administrative duties and the training academy.

Over McIntire is a district commander and an assistant district commander who supervise the post commanders. Above the district commanders is a major in charge of all district commanders with the Director of the Michigan State Police over all.

McIntire said in 2000 the Rockford Post became one of three in the state that changed from full service to primarily traffic. Prior to that point the office also did criminal investigations, but now leave those duties to other law enforcement, such as city police and Kent County Sheriff’s Department.

“We moved to where we were most needed,” McIntire said. “There is more than enough work for everybody.”

He said his philosophy as post commander is to take advantage of the experience of his sergeants to allow him to interact more with the community and with Michigan Department of Transportation on safety. Working with that organization he can see where traffic volumes and speed is highest in Kent County and assign troopers accordingly. He said people driving unsafely are a serious threat to MDOT construction worker safety as well as the safety of troopers.

“In the past ten years the troopers who died, died on the side of the road from people hitting them. Only one died from being shot,” he stated.

McIntire also said a focus on education and community involvement is a priority for him, along with most agencies in the law enforcement field.

“We were missing that for so long. The mind set used to be on enforcement, enforcement, enforcement and throw them to the justice system,” he said. “Now education is the key, and it’s not just kids, it’s the adults raising the kids.”

McIntire recommends law enforcement and the Michigan State Police in particular as a career. The training academy in Lansing offers a 20-week program that McIntire says is more difficult than the Marine Corps boot camps. “It’s intense, not just physically but academically.”

“It’s academics plus the in-your-face philosophy of breaking you down and building you back up. Plus, you are living there. There is no getting done at 5 p.m. and going out. It’s Sunday through Friday with a day and a half to see your family.” When McIntire was in the academy he had a wife at home with a baby. Still, he believes it was worth it.

“It’s been a great career for me. I’ve been able to do a lot of different things. Especially with joining the Air Force first. To me there is nothing more patriotic than serving your country in the military.”

THOUGHTFUL—Sue Osgood shows off a spread her magazine did on Herman’s Boy. She explores ways people are finding to enjoy local, hand-produced goods and foods.

by BETH ALTENA

Before the Civil War, people either grew their own food or knew the farmer who grew it for them. Now the source of our daily meals is such a mystery children are often clueless about how their dinner came to be. Unfortunately, adults are just as unaware as where our groceries come from.

According to Sue Osgood, editor of Foodforthought magazine, consumers are finding ways to get back to natural foods.

Osgood was the speaker at the Thursday, April 2 meeting of the Rockford Area Historical Society, another great speaker for the club.

She said her magazine has been featuring ways consumers are using to get back to natural foods, grown close by.

After the Civil War, people flocked to cities to live, and sanitation and food safety regulations were in their infancy. Michigan, in 1948, was the first state to mandate that milk be pasteurized before sale.

“Now food is highly industrialized,” Osgood said. With costs of food skyrocketing and incidents of food-born illness in the news constantly, consumers are ready to get closer to their edibles.

One example Osgood described is a concept begun in the 1960s. Smaller farmers, who often have a hard time competing against large producers, allow consumers to purchase stock in the farm. For a price up front, fresh, in-season produce is available.

“This helps the small farmer because he has the money up front when he needs it for planting,” Osgood said. This is good for farmers and consumers and “puts a face” on your food.

Another example is a way around milk pasteurization laws. Those who own cows can do what they want, as long as they don’t sell it. As in the farm example, consumers can make arrangements to buy a share of a cow. As owners, they can legally drink the milk without pasteurization.

“A lot of people believe in unpasteurized milk,” Osgood said. She said before the industrial revolution, it was what people drank. Some believe pasteurization kills healthful enzymes and makes the milk less nutritious.

An increase in organic foods is also part of the same picture. Many people believe organic food exposes consumers to less pesticides and other toxins, is more nutritious, protects you from genetically modified food, is good for soil and water, protects farm workers and uses less fossil fuel.

Osgood said her magazine did a section on Thanksgiving, proving that an entire traditional dinner can be arranged using only Michigan-grown products, even cranberries.

Meats, too have changed to suit production and mass distribution. A local grower of heritage turkeys calls today’s store-sold birds the “Dolly Parton” of turkeys, bred for lots of breast. Today’s meat animals have been altered by breeding to such a degree that they are unable to reproduce naturally, and have to be artificially inseminated.

Osgood also talked about the growth of farm markets and pointed out the popularity of Rockford’s. She stated two examples of farm markets held in the parking lots of medical facilities, an indication she believes, that those in the medical field realize the importance of healthy, local food sources.

Another person went into business for herself as a sustainability consultant. She finds ways for people to use fewer resources and sustainable foods. “She finds ways for people to be responsible within  the food community,” Osgood said. The person also goes into businesses and shows them how they too can be greener, using local sources, conserving energy, and helps develop minimal packaging and processing, such as unbleached food products.

Yet another example is an individual, Sheri Rop, who began buying as much food as she could straight from local farmers. The idea was good, but consumed lots of time and gas. Rop decided to make her passion her business and set up shop as The Good Earth Artisan Food.

With an online ordering site, she allows people to place orders for farm-grown products then picks them up in bulk and delivers straight to the door. Visit her website at www.artisanfood.com.

“I think in the future there will be more of this kind of stuff,” said Osgood. “Kid know nothing about where food comes from. People are ready to connect to local growers.” Osgood said the restaurant industry is following suit with many chefs trying to use local foods, too.

“The average food item on an American table has traveled 1,500 miles to get to the table,” Osgood stated. “That is a scary statistic.” Osgood also pointed out a very positive bit of information. It should be easier for Michigan consumers to buy locally as our state offers a larger variety of crops than any other state except California.

Ride for the Cure

READY TO RIDE—Chris and son Scott Radford (left in picture) take place in an annual Ride for the Cure for diabetes research. They hope to help others enjoy the same experience as well as help find a cure for diabetes.

Chris Radford is grateful he is able to experience a father-and-son event, thanks to his son Scott’s current ability to control his Type 1 diabetes. Chris hopes to help others enjoy the annual  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) 100-mile bike ride as well as help fund a cure for diabetes.

The younger Radford was diagnosed with the most severe version of the disease as a young boy. Today he controls it with an insulin pump, but will continue to face possible life-threatening effects.

Seeing the devastating effects of diabetes made Chris determined to do his part to find a cure. Last year he organized the first annual Family Fun Day Poker Walk/Run/Ride on the new Cannon Township Trail, starting at Cannon Township Hall, 6878 Belding Road. Participants travel the trail their preferred way, walking, running or biking, and pick up poker cards at stations. Those with the best hands win.

“Everybody left with something,” said Radford of the first annual event. This year there are even more reasons to play-donations to date top $5,000 worth in prizes.

The cost for a hand of poker is a minimum donation of $25, but the prizes are great. Grand prize is a $400 Giant Sedona bike from Village Bike and Fitness with a first prize of $100 to The Runnery. Many merchants have donated prizes, and the first 100 participants to sign up get a family pack with goodies.

Last year about 50 people turned out to the spring event, and $1,500 was raised for the JDRF.  This year, with over $5,000 in prizes to give away, Radford is hopeful of an even better turnout. The event is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, rain or shine.

“We were looking at the calendar to find out what weekends don’t have events in Rockford,”  he said. “After May, forget it.”

Radford and his son raised the required $4,000 each to participate in Ride to Cure Diabetes. Spending time together on the 100-mile ride through either Death Valley or Killington, Vermont, is a wonderful experience. Other participants have also been touched by the disease, which affects over three million people with 40 new children diagnosed in the country each day.

“Four thousand dollars is a lot to raise,” said Radford. For two people, it would be $8,000. That can be daunting.” He hopes to be able to offer a scholarship where a parent of a diabetic child could raise the $4,000, and be granted the second amount-all going to the JDRF.

Radford is passionate about finding a cure and described the “roller coaster” of trying to regulate his son’s insulin level. With Type 1 diabetes, a person eventually is unable to produce any insulin at all. Scott currently uses a pump, the size of a pager, which continuously infuses insulin into his body through a connected injection site.

Although it has helped tremendously, it is not a cure. Scott may still face other potentially devastating effects, including kidney failure, nerve damage, limb amputation, blindness, heart attack and stroke. The disease’s devastating nature make the time spent together on the annual ride that much more precious, as is the experience of riding with others in the same situation.

In addition to the prizes in the poker run, there will also be auction items. Among the donations are gift certificates and gift baskets from Dam Dogs, Kimberly’s, Great Northern Trading Company, Baskets in the Belfry, D&W, Ric’s Food Center, Village Bike, Sam’s Joint, Red’s on the River, Bangz, the Corner Bar, Aunt Candy’s Toy Store, Right at Home, Eric Brown Glass, Rockford Flooring, Timbers, Pizzeria Grandé and too many more to list.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL—Boys at last year’s Bear Creek Waterfest enjoy looking at creatures of the creek up close at the microscope magic station.

Roll up your sleeves, grab a net and find out what amazing creatures can be found in most any creek or stream, and why they are important. Explore microscope magic, rain sticks, a fish pond, fill up with a pancake breakfast and don’t forget the rubber ducky races. The sixteenth annual Bear Creek Waterfest is coming up Saturday, April 25 from 8 a.m. to noon and is always educational as well as great family fun. It is held at Townsend Park, located at the corner of Ramsdell Drive and Cannonsburg Road.

Again this year the musical group Hawks and Owls will perform, giving a lively background sound to the many activity stations. A filling all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast is from 8 to 10 a.m. and a bake sale will start at 8 and stay open as long as there are treats to sell.

Cannon Township hosts this annual event with education in mind. Each year children are invited to pick up a “passport” and explore stations which have an environmentally friendly theme. Volunteers offer rubber boots and nets and invite youngsters to “step right in” to Bear Creek and see what they can net up. From crayfish to fish to interesting invertebrates, kids are aided in identifying their find and learning about the importance of healthy wetlands.

Among the stations are a rain garden booth, plant a native flower seed, a fish pond, rain stick (make and take your own), watershed information, ozone action display, a scavenger hunt and self-guided tour, a recycling information station and the timeless classic rubber ducky races.

As always, the activities are free, except for the breakfast, which is a bargain at $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 12 and under. 

ENVIRONMENTAL FUN—This young girl learns about backyard habitats at last year’s Waterfest. The half-day event is a great family outing.

To help commemorate National Arbor Day, everyone who joins the Arbor Day Foundation during the month of April will receive 10 free shade trees.

National Arbor Day and Michigan’s Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, which is April 24 this year.

The 10 free shade trees are red oak, sugar maple, weeping willow, bald cypress, thornless honey locust, pin oak, river birch, tulip tree, silver maple, and red maple. The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign.

“These trees were selected to provide shade and beauty, and a variety of forms, leaf shapes, and beautiful fall colors,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Arbor Day than by planting trees.”

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting in April or May with enclosed planting instructions. The six to twelve inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.

“Planting a tree is a unique experience because you can watch it grow over the years,” Rosenow said. “It truly makes you feel a part of the planet and the future, and connects us directly to nature.”

Rosenow added that planting a tree is a perfect family tradition for parents, grandparents, and children to enjoy together, because the trees will last for generations.

“Years from now, our great-grandchildren will be able to say that ‘This is the tree my ancestors planted,’” he said.

To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE SHADE TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by April 30, 2009, or visit www.arborday.org.

PET PROJECT—Rockford High School teacher Ryan Whitmore is pictured….(what’s he doing?)

Turns out maybe “Murphy’s Law” isn’t such a bad thing after all. After a high school industrial arts class and a new local animal and pet assistance group came together, they’re changing the way people might think about the old rule of bad luck.

Rockford High School Industrial Arts teacher Ryan Whitmore needed a project. New local non-profit organization Murphy’s Pet Project needed some doghouses. And thanks to a mutual acquaintance bringing the two together, Whitmore filled his need for a building project, and Murphy’s Pet Project is about to be on the receiving end of 26 custom built windproof doghouses for donation to needy Grand Rapids area residents.

Due to Rockford’s new trimester student schedule, Whitmore needed a small scale construction project for his Woods classes.

“Because of various time constraints this particular trimester, we needed a project that would in some way simulate house construction with framing and angles. In the past we’ve built storage sheds, but time didn’t allow us to build the sheds.”

Enter Murphy’s Pet Project. Murphy’s Pet Project is a newly formed non-profit organization dedicated to helping needy families meet the sometimes substantial financial burdens pet ownership can bring.

According to co-founder Melissa Muir, Murphy’s can help families and their pets in a variety of ways. “Murphy’s was developed out of a combination of love for animals and the desire to help loving families keep their pets and keep them safe and healthy. Especially in an economy like this one, families are faced with difficult decisions. We didn’t want financial issues to be a factor in families deciding whether they could continue to keep a pet.”

Muir also stated that Murphy’s fills a void in the area, as other advocacy groups do not offer the type of assistance Murphy’s Pet Project does.

Among others, she cited costly and sometimes unaffordable surgery, medications, food, and sometimes even dog houses. “While no dog should be an ‘outdoor pet,’ if people see an outdoor dog without proper shelter, Murphy’s Pet Project will provide the dog a quality shelter, hay for further insulation, and often a bag of food as well,” she added. The group also assists families with cats and other domesticated pets in the West Michigan area.

From Whitmore’s perspective, the situation was a win/win. “It’s worked out really well. Because of the smaller scale, I’ve been able to involve students more efficiently, and kids are getting more hands on experience than they might have with the shed project.”

Whitmore found a design online for a simple yet protective dog house, and his students began construction on the houses in early January, and the classes finished the houses February 27. Murphy’s will begin placing the houses immediately.

Adding to the community spirit of the project, the Rockford High Student Council has pitched in approximately $1200 toward cost of materials, about half of the total bill. Murphy’s is still seeking donations to finish funding the project.

Student Council President Tanya Kolenbrander stated, “the project was brought to our attention, and we all felt like it was a great cause. Family pets are often the first thing to go when money gets tight, and those are the times when families need their companions most. It’s a little more unique than some of the groups who have approached us, and we liked the idea of being able to help families in the community.”

Muir was very enthusiastic about the good fortune that brought the two groups together. “We can’t thank the students at Rockford enough for their hard work and the Student Council for their generous donation,” Muir added. “We’re very excited about what’s been able to happen there, and it’s a relationship we hope will continue.”

Those interested in contacting Murphy’s Pet Project to donate, request assistance, or request one of the newly built doghouses can go to HYPERLINK “http://www.murphyspetproject.org”, www.murphyspetproject.org or call 616-825-6319 for more information.

Thankfully for the family pets of the greater Grand Rapids area, in this case, Murphy’s Law is a good thing.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on last week’s April Fool issue, featuring a fake front page.

There are no wind turbines at the tannery, no State Police trooper cars in potholes, under trees or damaged by rockslides.

Thanks to our new State Police Post Commander Chris McIntire (see story above) who brought in his remote control vehicle for our photos of the spring driving hazards.

It was fun driving around with the toy car thinking of things to do to it. It almost experienced a flood, but I wondered if water would damage the toy and didn’t want to make the post commander mad at me this soon after our first meeting.

As always, our graphic designer, Melanie Ragsdale, did the “high tech” entertainment on her computer. Cliff Hill took the original tannery picture from in a tree.

Roger Allen, publisher

“Where’s my paper?”

Jerry Coon, Enrolled Agent

Reasons to file

The end of the 2009 tax filing season is coming up quickly. The majority of all tax returns are completed and either mailed in or e-filed. However, there are still several million, perhaps up to 20 million, taxpayers who are going to file an extension.

There are actually some very legitimate reasons for filing an extension. One of the most common reasons is a retirement-planning reason. Taxpayers with an SEP retirement plan are allowed to make contributions until they file their return. By filing an extension, it effectively extends the time the taxpayer has to accumulate the money to fund the SEP. That is a huge difference between an SEP and a traditional or Roth IRA. The traditional or Roth IRA must be funded by April 15, whether the return is extended or not. If the money is not in the account on April 15, it’s a contribution that counts for the next year.

A second reason to file an extension is the paperwork is just not available to complete the return. Many taxpayers today are invested in limited partnerships. Some of those limited partnerships invest exclusively in other limited partnerships. It’s their special form of diversifying. However, if just one of those other limited partnerships is late in getting their information out, it’s the domino effect, with the net effect that whoever is invested in the original limited partnership has to file an extension.

A third reason to file an extension is some particular piece of information is not available for the cost basis of property that was sold such as a stock, mutual fund, or land. In today’s investing environment, many taxpayers have liquidated investments. The brokerage company involved always reports the gross sales price to the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has one side of the story: the selling price. The part that is left to the taxpayer is to determine and report the cost of the item that was sold. If the taxpayers have purchased everything that was sold through the same brokerage company, usually they are provided with a cost basis statement.

However, switching brokerage companies is a fine art today. Every time there is a switch, the new company usually has no idea of the cost basis of stocks or mutual funds that are brought over to them. The taxpayer many times is not aware that no one is keeping track of that important item either-not aware, that is, until it’s time to file a tax return and the taxpayer is missing cost basis on several sale transactions.

Sometimes, the purchase price is not the cost basis, particularly in inherited situations. Under the estate tax rules in existence at this time, when a piece of property is inherited, the inheritor is allowed to increase or step up the basis of the property to the fair market value on the date of death. That is an incredible advantage for the inheritor. It’s relatively easy to figure out the fair market value when the property is sold soon after the date of inheritance. However, when the property was inherited 10 years ago, for example, it might take a little bit of figuring and time to come up with an actual fair market value at the date of death.

An extension just might be in the cards for some taxpayers. The item that must be remembered when filing an extension is the extension does not extend the time to pay the tax due. It only extends the time for the filing of the return. When the return is eventually filed, if there is a balance due, the IRS will calculate interest and penalties going back to the original due date of the return, April 15. Interest will be computed at a rate of four to six percent and a penalty will be computed at a rate of one-half percent per month, accumulating every month. The first month’s penalty is one-half percent. The second month’s penalty is one percent. The third month’s penalty is one-and-one-half percent. The fourth month’s penalty is two percent, etc. In most instances, it pays to make an estimated tax payment of whatever might be due and pay it before April 15. Try not to let those penalties and interest accumulate. This is Jerry Coon signing off.

Jerry Coon is an Enrolled Agent. He owns

Action Tax Service on Northland Drive in  Rockford.

His e-mail address is jcoon@actiontaxservice.com.

an extension

Thelma Golaher

The Rockford Squire recognizes lifelong Rockford resident, Thelma Golaher who celebrated her 103rd birthday on April 8th. Her church family at Rockford United Methodist Church asks everyone to remember her with a card. Her address is: Bishop Hills, 4951 Eleven Mile Rd., Rockford, MI 49341.