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Michigan
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS LANSING
Snyder betting big on Super Bowl Sunday
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ov. Rick Snyder isn’t a betting man, but his re-election campaign committee is betting big on another Super Bowl ad, doubling down on the 2010 commercial that made “one tough nerd” a household nickname.
A 2006 photo shows gray wolves on Isle Royale National Park in northern Michigan. (AP)
“We don’t know that our lethal controls brought down those depredations.” BRIAN ROELL, A TOP DNR WOLF EXPERT IN MARQUETTE UPPER PENINSULA
Attacks by wolves wane
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By John Barnes
jbarnes1@mlive.com
he icon on the GPS shows his dog is on the move. For Michael Crippen, it provides hope his radio-collared bear hound survived the wolf attack that took her hunting mate.
Lake Superior Marquette
Munising
Pete’s Lake Location of wolf attack
N (MLive.com)
since 1996, when the first attack was recorded after wolves’ return, also on a bear hound. FEWER WOLVES KILLED
In 2013, the lower number of attacks came the same year as the state’s first managed wolf hunt. It also came one year after removal of Michigan wolves’ protected status allowed farmers to It is a gray morning here use lethal means — includin the Hiawatha National ing licensed shooters — to Forest, about 12 miles south kill nuisance wolves. of Munising. The skies In 2012, 25 wolves were will shed rain later. Beech killed under various meatree leaves are turning yelsures. Six were killed in the low and bronze. Angular act of attacking livestock, 11 beechnuts have ripened, and were killed under privatethe trees’ serrated leaves land lethal control permits, will cling most of the winand eight were killed by ter, shivering in the wind. state or federal wildlife Temperatures are in the agents. 50s. In 2013, that dwindled to Blood is on the ground. 12. Four wolves were killed Crippen has just topped attacking livestock, six a knoll and sees flashes of under private lethal control movement, frightening four permits, and two by wildlife to five wolves that cornered officials. and killed one of his Bluetick The latter fact has given purebreds while hunting wolf-hunt opponents bear. He saw its last gasp. ammunition for their arguThe Midland-area man’s ment that the 2013 hunt hope that another dog surwas unnecessary to get rid vived ended 250 yards away. of problem wolves. They That’s where he found Ring, say other lethal measures an experienced 6-year-old should have been given tracker worth $4,000 to more time to prove their $5,000. effectiveness. “There was a long bloody “The law had only gone drag mark that led to where into effect for lethal manageRing was found (that’s why ment in January 2012. They his icon was moving on the did not wait to see how that GPS) and many of his interworked before charging into nal organs had been eaten,” a wolf hunt,” said Jill Fritz, reads the Department of Michigan state director for Natural Resources report on The Humane Society of the the Oct. 12 attack. United States and director This incident in the Upper of Keep Michigan Wolves Peninsula’s Schoolcraft Protected. County was one of the last But Brian Roell, a top DNR verified wolf attacks in 2013 wolf expert, said it is too — 20 attacks in all. soon to draw conclusions. But as horrific as the inci“We don’t know that our dent was — two dogs were lethal controls brought killed, two others injured down those depredations,” — last year saw the lowest said Roell, a wildlife biolonumber of wolf depredagist in Marquette. tions in Michigan in years, “My hunch is that we did by at least half. not take enough to control The year before saw 41 behavior through lethal conattacks on one or more anitrol measures.” mals; 2011 registered 44. In Sometimes, after a hard 2010, there were 49 attacks. winter, deer are stressed It was the most of any year and easier prey, meaning
wolves might not turn to livestock as much, Roell noted. This is shaping up to be a hard winter, though it and other factors are impossible to predict, he noted. Some speculate canine attacks are not really down, but that hunters are less likely to report them and handle the problem themselves. Unlike cattle, the government does not compensate for dog losses. None of that is much consolation to Crippen, owner of the four dogs killed or injured on that autumn morning in the Hiawatha National Forest. The area, it should be noted, is not within the state’s three hunting zones for problem wolves. HUNTERS BECOME PREY
It was the middle of Michigan’s third and last bear season of 2013. The plan was for Crippen and his friends to follow the dogs, which were on bear grazing trails. The hope is that a bear would be forced into a clearing, or at least “bay-up” — make a stand until the hunters arrived. If the bear is treed, all the better. Cindy and Bill Thome, owner of the five-cabin Kenbuck Resort where Crippen’s hunting party was staying, joined their longtime customers in the
hunt about eight miles to the north. The dogs were howling in the distance. “Cindy said, ‘Did you hear that?’ And I said, ‘Hear what?’ ” Bill Thome said. “She heard three things that cut in front of her. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Moving fast. “About 15 minutes later we heard the dogs howl, and then we heard a howl that was a wolf. Then — about 15 seconds later — they got one of the dogs, and it was a death howl.” Ring was killed first, an investigation determined. Diamond, a 3-year-old female worth about $2,500, died second. Blaze and Flo, both 3-yearold bear hounds worth about $2,500 each, soon came out of the woods separately, wounded. A fifth dog, Patch, emerged from the woods uninjured. “He was traumatized, just shaking,” said Thome, 60. “I think with those dogs howling, it was like a dinner bell or something.”
Ç ONLINE EXTRAS
Search all wolf attacks in Michigan, 1996-2013, bit.ly/wolfcomp See what it cost to protect one Michigan farm, bit.ly/wolfcost
WOLF NUMBERS RISE, ATTACKS FALL
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GUN PRIVACY
So how much will the Snyder campaign spend on Super Bowl ads? FCC records show a one-minute game-day spot on Fox will cost the committee $400,000 in Metro Detroit and another $25,000 in the Flint market. MIRS subscription news reports he also will spend $40,000 in Grand Rapids, $18,000 in Lansing and $12,000 in Cadillac/ Traverse City. Combined with a $166,130 cable buy on Fox News, Snyder’s total February advertising tab already is at $661,130. That’s a big figure for a guy who still won’t confirm his re-election plans. Democratic challenger Mark Schauer has filed an application for public funding in the primary, meaning he likely will be limited to spending $2 million total through Aug. 5. But if the race is close, expect plenty of independent spending by outside groups as well.
House Republicans on Thursday unveiled their updated action plan for 2014, highlighting a push to use a projected budget surplus on some form of tax relief for Michigan residents. It didn’t get the headlines, but the plan includes a new nod to the gun lobby. House Speaker Jase Bolger, of Marshall, told reporters the caucus wants to “protect gun owners from intimidation and harassment by exempting their information from” Freedom of Information Act requests, pointing out that is the only gun-related measure in the action plan. House Bill 4155, introduced last year by state Rep. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, appears to be a response to a controversial move by The New York Journal News, which published the names and addresses of gun owners in two counties following the Sandy Hook school shooting in late 2012.
GOLDEN PARACHUTE?
Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, of East Lansing, is calling for an independent investigation into the Michigan Department of Treasury after reports surfaced last week that former Treasurer Andy Dillon, who resigned Nov. 1, continues to make his full $174,204 salary as an adviser to his successor. “Michigan taxpayers deserve to know that the department that’s entrusted with the state’s finances and collecting tax dollars is itself being run in a fiscally responsible manner,” Whitmer said in a release referencing Dillon’s “golden parachute” and significant pay raises given to Treasury investment officials in 2013. Dillon serves at the pleasure of new Treasurer Kevin Clinton, according to department spokesman Terry Stanton. He has assisted “with transition issues and has been working on local government fiscal issues.” His role — and pay — is expected to last another four to six weeks.
joosting@mlive.com
= wolf population = attacks on livestock* = attacks on dogs
300
200
100
0
’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13
*Mostly cattle, but includes sheep, chickens and other fowl. Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region; Michigan Department of Natural Resources
joosting g @mlive.com .com
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
By Jonathan Oosting 500
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Jonathan than Oosting ing
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
House-approved legislation to bring back medical marijuana “provisioning centers” and allow edible products scored a small victory in the Senate when both bills were referred to the Government Operations Committee chaired by Majority Leader Randy Richardville, of Monroe. Supporters had feared the bills would end up in the Judiciary Committee chaired by Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, a former sheriff who has spoken out against dispensaries in the past. There’s no guarantee Richardville will act on the legislation any time soon, but the ball is firmly in his court. “I don’t know that we have a plan on those bills, so to speak, but he’s been very open to having hearings on anything to do with that topic, obviously,” said Richardville spokeswoman Amber McCann, referencing consideration and approval of a pharmaceutical-grade marijuana bill late last year. “Don’t rule that out.”
Lawmakers considering plans for $971 million budget surplus
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Opponents say it shows hunt was unnecessary, but proponents say it is too early to tell
POLITICAL TICAL POINTS POINN T S
(Jeff Johnston/MLive.com)
LANSING — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and state lawmakers are looking at $971 million in new one-time and ongoing revenue as they begin work on the next fiscal budget, setting the stage for a debate over possible tax cuts, rebates and new investments. Officials from the non-partisan House and Senate fiscal agencies, along with the state Treasury Department, settled on that figure Friday at a Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference in Lansing, where they discussed economic forecasts and compared updated revenue projections for fiscal years 2013 through 2015. The Senate Fiscal Agency projected $1.3 billion in increased revenue over a
May 2013 estimating conference. The House Fiscal panel pegged the number at $1.1 billion, while Treasury officials offered a more conservative $708 million, citing uncertainty over unclaimed Michigan Business Tax credits. The consensus figure of $971 million includes approximately $325 million to build into the long-term budget, while $646 million will be available for onetime appropriations. It is a mixture of general fund and School Aid Fund revenue. Michigan House Republicans last week unveiled an updated action plan that emphasized tax relief for residents. Gov. Rick Snyder also has signaled he is open to the idea but has stressed the need for long-term planning.
B2 / SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS
Michigan LANSING
Rogers: Snowden leaks could have ‘lethal consequences’
W
elcome to The Michigan Delegation, your weekly look at what Michigan’s members of Congress are up to and the elections for their 14 congressional seats and two Senate seats. Last week’s stories:
MICHIGAN DELEGATION Fritz tz Klug ug fklug@mlive.com g@mlive.com
ROGERS SAYS SNOWDEN ENDANGERS MILITARY LIVES:
An FBI report sent to Congress last week said the thousands of documents leaked by Edward Snowden put U.S. military at risk. U.S. Rep Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, said, based on the report, Snowden’s actions “are likely to have lethal consequences for our troops in the field.” “This report confirms my greatest fears — Snowden’s real acts of betrayal place America’s military men and women at greater risk,” Rogers said in a Rogers statement, according to Politico. Rogers, who chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has been a vocal opponent of Snowden and the revelations about the National Security Agency brought to light by documents he leaked. Snowden was a contract worker for the NSA and leaked thousands of documents that have details of the agency’s vast surveillance program of American citizens. He currently is in Russia under temporary asylum. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
The Senate voted to end debate on extending unemployment benefits, which could lead to a vote. Democrats are trying to have a vote in the House. In Michigan, about 43,000 people lost long-term unemployment ben-
efits in December, according to the state Unemployment Insurance Agency. In a statement last week, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow said the benefits are “a critical lifeline for families out of work through no fault of their own.” Without action by Congress, thousands more each week would feel the impact as their state-funded benefits expire, generally after 26 weeks. Forty nine freshman House Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, sent a letter asking Speaker John Boehner to call a vote on the extension. U.S. Rep John Conyers, D-Detroit, a supporter of extending the benefits, said “it is unconscionable that House Republicans previously blocked consideration of extending unemployment insurance that helps Americans make ends meet as they look for a job.” Two candidates for the U.S. Senate support extending the benefits. U.S. Rep Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, is a longtime backer and reiterated his support in a statement, saying the benefits have a “proven economic return” and that “Congress must act without delay to extend emergency unemployment insurance benefits.” Former Republican Secretary of State and Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land said she also supports extending the benefits. On the Brian Patrick Shields show, Land said “I think it’s important we take care of the folks in Michigan
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said he believes former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, above, has put American lives at risk. (AP file)
who are hurting.” ASIAN CARP
The Army Corps of Engineers released a study this week with several alternative plans for keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. The report comes from a bill sponsored by Stabenow and U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, that would separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds. After the report was released, Camp and Stabenow said the Army Corp should have endorsed a single plan. “More work is needed to com-
By Steve Newman -68 -68° Selagoncy, Siberia
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Cold War Legacy
Earth’s upper atmosphere is still littered with radioactive particles from the more than 500 aboveground nuclear tests that took place decades ago, according to a new study. Most of the plutonium and cesium isotopes from those blasts have since been rinsed out of the lower atmosphere by falling in rain or snow, or by being brought down by gravity. The stratosphere was also thought to be relatively fallout-free before a Swiss team found its contamination to be about 1,000 to 1,500 levels higher than in the troposphere, the layer just above the surface. Jose Corcho of the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Protection says the contamination probably poses no danger to humans. “Most of the radioactive particles are removed in the first few years after the explosion, but a fraction remains in the stratosphere for a few decades or even hundreds or thousands of years,” said Corcho.
Frost Quakes
The most brutal chill in decades, which plunged the American Midwest and parts of southern Canada into a sudden deep freeze, also triggered loud booms that sounded like explosions or falling trees. Meteorologists assured nervous residents that the sounds were being caused by a relatively rare phenomenon known as “frost quakes.” The booms occur when water in the soil freezes and expands in extreme cold, causing the ground to suddenly fracture like a jar of water in the freezer. Also known as cryoseisms, they can only happen when the ground has been saturated by heavy rain shortly before a quick freeze sets in. Such conditions have not occurred on a large scale in North America for decades, leaving some people experiencing the quakes for the first time in their lives.
Heat Fatalities
A spell of scorching summertime weather in Australia’s Queensland state killed as many as 100,000 bats in an ecological disaster officials called unprecedented. Many of the flying foxes, or fruit bats, fell dead from the sky while the carcasses of others hung on branches. Residents said the stench of decay was unbearable as temperatures reached nearly 110 F. At least 16 people were reportedly receiving anti-viral treatment after coming into close contact with a bat. The animals sometimes carry lyssavirus, which can cause paralysis and even death in humans. But wildlife officials say the flying foxes are a key part of the ecosystem, and such a massive loss to their populations will have consequences. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was caring for many young bats left orphaned by the heat disaster.
Eruption Swarm
Sumatra’s Mount Sinabung erupted 115 times during a three-day period in a relentless eruptive phase that began in September, sending even more people fleeing its flanks. The volcano sent superheated clouds of debris cascading down its slopes and lava streams flowing for miles. Residents of more than two dozen villages have been living in temporary shelters outside a 3-mile danger zone, some for months. Many of their homes and farms have been blanketed with a thick layer of ash and other debris while they’ve been gone. Indonesian geologists say magma beneath Sinabung is rising from deep within the Earth, swelling the size of the lava dome near its peak. That dome occasionally collapses, triggering pyroclastic clouds and gushes of lava. Sinabung roared to life in 2010 after lying mainly dormant for 400 years.
Tropical Cyclones
The island nation of Tonga was buffeted by gales and heavy rain as Category-2 Cyclone Ian churned the waters of the South Pacific. • Cyclone 01B formed briefly over the southwestern Bay of Bengal, but lingering clouds brought three days of downpours to a swath of Sri Lanka.
Earthquakes
Weak tremors were felt around the South Australia capital of Adelaide and in southern Bulgaria, coastal areas of metropolitan Los Angeles and southeastern Nebraska.
Shark Tweets
Surfers and swimmers on popular Western Australia beaches can now get warnings of nearby sharks thanks to new wireless technology and Twitter. Marine biologists have attached tiny transmitters to more than 320 sharks, including great whites. Their progress up and down the Indian Ocean coast is monitored, and a computer automatically sends out shark alerts via short messages on Surf Life Saving Western Australia’s Twitter feed. Details about the size, species and approximate location of the fish are provided. Western Australia is the world’s deadliest place for shark attacks. Surfer Chris Boyd was killed in November and was the sixth person to die from shark attack in the region during the past two years. The new alert system went online just days after a controversial law was approved allowing fishermen to kill sharks larger than 5 feet in length if they are found in some areas used by surfers and swimmers. Distributed by: Universal Uclick www.earthweek.com © MMXIV Earth Environment Service
pletely develop a serious plan to protect the Great Lakes and the jobs and economy they support,” Camp said in a statement. Stabenow added: “While this report is a step in the right direction, it’s time to move past reports and get moving on actual projects that will stop Asian carp.” ALSO LAST WEEK
• Stabenow told Politco she is feeling good about the Farm Bill, and negotiaters are “just tying up loose ends. … We just have to get through that conference committee, get the report signed,” Stebenow told the Washington D.C., publication.
“There’s a desire to get this done by everybody.” • The U.S. House voted unanimously Wednesday night on Gary Peters’ bill to eliminate redundant auto sales paperwork. The bill, cowritten by Peters and U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, a Republican of Ohio, would remove the need for documentation that the car or truck complies with Clean Air Act, because every car or truck sold in the U.S. must already comply. It passed the Energy and Commerce Committee and is likely to go to a vote in 2014. • Stabenow named a new chief of staff, longtime adviser Bill Sweeney.
LANSING
Tax cuts top state House Republican action plan By Jonathan Oosting joosting@mlive.com
Michigan House Republicans are eager to talk about tax relief — not new taxes for roads — in 2014. House Speaker Jase Bolger of Marshall, flanked by colleagues at a Capitol news conference Thursday, unveiled an updated version of the House Republican Action Plan, which includes some leftover items from last year and a set of new goals for 2014. With analysts predicting a budget surplus of about $975 million through fiscal year 2015, tax relief is at the top of the list. “It will be targeted, focused towards individuals, and it will reward those who worked hard to pay the bill that resulted in the surplus,” Bolger told reporters. “There’s many forms it can take. That’s a debate we’ll have with the Senate and the governor. But it’s a debate I’m excited about having.” Bolger said he is “certainly open” to considering a gradual reduction of the income tax from 4.25 percent to 3.9 percent by 2018, a proposal that one Republican senator already is working on. He also noted talk of property tax relief but explained he is less inclined to restore Earned Income Tax Credits or revisit the state’s so-called “pension tax” enacted in 2011 as part of a larger package that included substantial tax cuts for businesses. “I would be very resistant to undoing the reform we did last time, which is a reform that makes our system more fair,” Bolger said. An income tax reduction sounds well and fine, according to state Rep. Brandon Dillon, D-Grand Rapids, but
he pointed out the rate was scheduled to drop to 3.9 percent by 2015 before the Republican-led Legislature stopped the reduction in 2011, later cutting the rate from 4.35 to 4.25 percent in 2012. Democrats want to reinstate the tax exemption for pensions and restore various tax credits cut or scaled back in 2011, including the EITC, which was reduced from 20 percent to 6 percent of the federal credit. “It’s no surprise this is happening in an election year,” Dillon said of the tax-cut talk. “It’s also no surprise that Republicans continue to ignore the elephant in the room, which is the massive tax increase they imposed on seniors.” Improving roads and bridges remains a part of the House GOP action plan, but Bolger said he does not anticipate any new revenue sources in 2014. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder last year proposed raising $1.2 billion in new long-term road funding through a combination of gas taxes and registration fees. Snyder and legislative leaders continue to talk about infrastructure funding, but new taxes are unlikely in an election year. Instead, lawmakers may look to re-prioritize the budget, convert existing gas taxes to the wholesale level or enable more publicprivate partnership projects. Rep. Kevin Cotter of Mt. Pleasant, who chaired the workgroup that crafted the House Republican plan, said he would like to see some of the projected surplus go to roads, but he acknowledged the one-time funding would not solve the long-term problem, which will only get more expensive as the existing
infrastructure continues to deteriorate. “I’m very hopeful that we can do something on that front,” Cotter said. “Might this surplus provide an opportunity to re-invest in roads? It’s my hope that it can. I think that we can couple that together maybe with a tax cut — which there’s a lot of energy for.” Other new priorities on the House Republican Action Plan include: • Human trafficking: “Protecting women and children who are victimized by human traffickers who seek to exploit their freedom for money” • Gun owner privacy: “Protecting individual privacy and freedom by protecting personal information of legal gun owners from exploitation under FOIA” • School safety: “Apply common sense with a focus on effective public safety to secure our children’s schools” Overall, House Republicans say they completed more than half of their two-year action plan in 2013, but some items remain unfinished, including a controversial proposal to repeal the state’s prevailing wage law, which guarantees union pay rates and benefits for workers on construction projects financed or sponsored by the state. Organized labor strongly opposes any attempt to repeal the prevailing wage law, likening it to the next fight in a battle that began with right to work in 2012. “That is certainly an issue that gets a lot of attention, but it’s an issue where you look at state-funded projects and how are we making the best use of taxpayer dollars,” said Cotter.
THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS / SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014 / B3
Nation Use of private emails complicate bridge scandal in New Jersey, officials say By Jack Gillum
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Personal emails at the center of the brewing political scandal for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie may have remained secret, had the public and press relied solely on the state’s open records law. Emails disclosed last week show a top Christie aide asking the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to shut down three lanes on the busy George Washington Bridge, resulting in major backups for days last September. Those emails were leaked to reporters last week, even though one newspaper requested them nearly a month ago, only to be told they did not exist. PRIVATE ACCOUNTS
The use of private emails adds Christie, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2016, to a growing list of administrations that use private email accounts and other digital services to conduct official business. In turn, state and federal officials, regardless of political party, have sidestepped public records laws meant to keep government activities transparent. The Record of Bergen, N.J., said it filed an open-records request last month asking for emails related to the Port Authority’s decision to close the bridge lanes. The request specifically sought emails between David Wildstein, a Christie-appointed Port Authority official, and employees in the governor’s office. The newspaper received a response from Christie’s office 10 days later, stating that the office “reviewed its records” but did not find any responsive emails. Weeks later, however, emails similar to what The Record asked for were made public after being obtained under subpoena by state Assembly Democrats. It’s unclear why the governor’s office didn’t turn over apparently responsive emails from the Yahoo Mail account of Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly. She used the service to send messages to Wildstein, who ordered the bridge lanes closed. Representatives in Christie’s office did not immediately return messages seeking comment Friday. PUBLIC RECORDS LAWS
Public records laws, which can vary widely from state to state, govern how officials’ documents and correspondence should be stored and released. But those laws largely have been slow to
catch up to the digital age. The result creates a gray area for how state and federal employees can use electronic services, such as personal email accounts and phone text messages, to conduct their business. It also creates murkiness for how those records should be disclosed to an inquisitive public. EXECUTIVE BRANCH
For instance, The Associated Press found last year that some of President Barack Obama’s political appointees, including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, used secret, unpublished email accounts at work. Officials said the emails are searchable under the federal Freedom of Information Act, although the AP was unable to confirm that practice. Christie’s Democratic predecessor, Jon Corzine, had fought to keep secret emails he exchanged with his exgirlfriend, a former union leader. The state’s highest court ruled in 2009 he could keep those messages private. Across the Hudson River, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to a month-old AP request under the state’s Freedom of Information Law by saying he has never written an email — state or personal — for public business. Instead, he uses an untraceable Blackberry message system. Cuomo, a Democrat, later called it a way to prevent hacking. His office didn’t immediately reply when asked Friday if he still uses that approach.
Obituaries OBITUARIES
AGIN, ALAN W. Mr. Alan W. Agin, aged 64 of Grand Rapids, passed away on Saturday morning, January 11, 2014 with his family at his side. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Agin; his children, Timothy (Carrie) Agin and Lisa (Bret) Mackey; his grandchildren, Ryan Agin, Dylan Mackey, Morgan Mackey; his step grandchildren, Matt Mackey, Brittany (Nate) Funk; three great-grandchildren; his sisters, Judy Kay (Roger) Bergman, Janet (Gord) Haverdink; his sister-in-law, Susan Theule; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Alan was a loving and dedicated husband, father grandfather who will be deeply missed. The service to celebrate Alan’s life will be held on Wednesay January 15 at 11:00 AM (please call funeral home for more details 453-8263) Relatives and friends may meet his family on Tuesday from 2:00 – 4:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW., and at the church on Wednesday from 10:00 AM until the service begins. To read more about Alan’s life, to sign his guest book and to leave your own memory of him, visit his web page at www.lifestorynet.com
BOERDER, EDWARD J.
Mr. Thomas Roy Beenen, age 80, of Grand Rapids, went to be with the Lord Saturday, January 11, 2014. Tom was preceded in death by his son Tim, his sister in law Carol Beenen, and brother Frank Simons. He is survived by his wife MaryAnn Beenen (Zamiara), his children Cindy (Tom) Roberts, Tom (Hattie) Beenen, Ann (Steve) Arsulowicz, Paul (Kristine) Beenen, and Beth (Matt) Zobro; grandchildren Monica Coolk, Kelli, Kaitlin (fiance Bruce Milke), Charlie Roberts, Jacob, Lucas, and Emma Arsulowicz, Zackaria, Lewis, Spencer Zobro, Joe (Brenda) Tinney, Rachel (Shaun) Osbon. Two great-grandchildren; brother Donnie Beenen; sister Lois (John) Shutich; sisters in law Jeanne (Mike) McGrath, Diane (Jack) Sauline; many nieces and nephews. Tom was a retiree of CSX Railroad. Tom proudly served in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict. He was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Church where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, 11:00 AM. He will repose in church one hour prior to the Mass. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery. The family will receive visitors Tuesday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 at the Arsulowicz Brothers Remembrance Mortuary, 3525 Remembrance Road NW, where a vigil service will be held Tuesday at 7PM. Memorial Contributions to St. Anthony of Padua Educational Foundation, American Heart Association, or the charity of one’s choice will be appreciated.
Edward J. Boerder, aged 59 of Wyoming, formerly of Royal Oak, passed away unexpected ly on Saturday, January 4, 2014 after a prolonged illness. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Karen; son, Jason (Becky) Boerder; grandchildren, Makailah, Tristan; sister-in-law, Sandra (Bruce) Stange; and brother-in-law, Timothy (Cathy) Herman. According to his wishes, cremation has taken place and no services will be held. Memorial contributions may be made to American Diabetes Association. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie leaves City Hall last week in Fort Lee, N.J. Christie traveled to Fort Lee to apologize to Mayor Mark Sokolich. Christie fired one of his top aides and apologized repeatedly for the “abject stupidity” of his staff. (AP)
BETZ, PAUL R.
BARRETT, HELEN C. "BROWNIE" (BROWN) Mrs. Helen C. "Brownie" Barrett, age 86, of Plainfield Township, died Wednesday, January 1, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Melvin L. Barrett; daughter-in-law, Nancy Barrett; siblings, Francis, William, and Robert Brown, Florence Minier and Margaret Rodomski; inlaws, Lionel (Jeannie), Raymond (Betty), and Floyd Barrett, Charles Burden, Mary Barrett and Jim Kunard; She is survived by her sons, Tom (Sharon) Barrett, Ted Barrett, James (Sherree) Barrett, Scott Barrett (Vicki Albin), and Mark (Jenny) Barrett; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; in-laws, Earnest (Olga) Barrett, Stanley Barrett, Gib (Grace) Merkel, Velma Burden, and Dorothy Kunard; many nieces, nephews and cousins. A celebration of Helen’s life was held on January 7, 2014 at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home-Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may sign her online guest book, share a favorite memory and view her Life Story film.
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BEENEN, THOMAS ROY
ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY
Across the nation, judges have been left to interpret how nascent technology fits into public records laws, often written before the dawn of the Internet. In October 2012, the Alaska Supreme Court said state employees can use private emails, but that they must be preserved under records laws. The decision stemmed from the practice of former Gov. Sarah Palin’s use of private emails in government. When Palin was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, journalists fought for and received thousands of personal emails she initially claimed were exempt from disclosure. During the 2012 presidential campaign, GOP nominee Mitt Romney confirmed news reports that when he stepped down as Massachusetts governor in 2007, he authorized top aides to buy and remove computer hard drives containing key data about his administration.
BOONE, ELAINE
Paul R. Betz, of Mesa, AZ passed away December 31st, 2013. He was born in Mt Vernon, IL on July 6, 1921 to Rev. and Mrs. Matthew J Betz of Grand Rapids, MI. Paul graduated from Western High School in Detroit, MI, then attended Wayne State University, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1946 following service in the US Army during WWII. Paul held the rank of Technical Sargent (TSgt) and was based in Anchorage ,Alaska. Paul taught English in South America for several years before pursuing a career in Banking, working for the First National Bank in Chicago, IL for 24 years. He enjoyed travel, sports statistics and music (playing the piano, baritone and trumpet). He retired to Mesa, AZ in 1976. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church. He is survived by his brother Matthew Wayne Betz of Ypsilanti, MI and his many nieces and nephews. Paul was a kind and generous man. The family will gather to honor Paul in a private service, and Paul will be laid to rest at Greenwood Cemetery in Grand Rapids, MI.
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Elaine Boone, age 76, of Kentwood, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, January 10, 2014. She was preceded in death by a brother, Albert VanderWoude; and a sister, Marilyn TerHaar. She will be lovingly remembered by her children, David (Virginia) Boone, Eugene (Heidi) Boone, Laurie (Douglas) Helmholdt, Brian (Judy) Boone; 14 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren; her sister and brother, Arlene (Larry) Oetman, Donald (Holle) VanderWoude; sister-in-law, Marcia VanderWoude; brotherin-law, LaVerne TerHaar; a special friend, Betty Jelsema; several nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be held 12 noon Friday, January 17, at New Hope Free Methodist Church, 5665 Eastern Ave., with Rev. Kimber Decker officiating. Interment in Hooker Cemetery. Contributions in memory of Elaine may be given to Crossroads Bible Institute or Degage Ministries. The family will greet relatives and friends on Thursday from 5-8 PM at the funeral home and Friday one hour prior to the service at the church. STROO FUNERAL HOME 1095 68TH ST. SE www.stroofuneralhome.com
BROUWER, JACK R. Jack R. Brouwer, aged 88, of Grand Rapids, passed away Thursday morning, January 9, 2013 and went home to be with his Lord and Savior. He is survived by Ruth, his wife of 66 years; his three children, Linda (Donald) Sloat, Douglas (Susan) Brouwer, Wendy (Jim) Mersman; and five grandchildren, Amanda Sloat, Molly Sloat, Sarah Brouwer, Elizabeth Brouwer, and Brian Mersman. After serving with the Seabees at Pearl Harbor during World War II, he joined the Jaqua Advertising Agency where he worked for 41 years as an artist and Chairman of the Board. He was a member of LaGrave Ave. Christian Reformed Church. He served as Elder at his church and was on various nonprofit boards including the Board of Christian Schools. His interests in life were his wife, his children, and grandchildren. He loved his grandchildren and took special pride in their accomplishments as they grew up, attending their games and special events. He especially enjoyed Tiger games and his grandson’s hockey games. He was a long time member and devoted racquetball player at the Peninsular Club. A true artist at heart, retirement allowed him to pursue his love of watercolor painting and achieve signature membership in the American Watercolor Society. His paintings can be found in national and international corporate and personal collections. Jack and seven other renowned artists formed the "West Michigan Eight". He enjoyed nature’s beauty and traveled extensively throughout the world with his wife to explore God’s creations. He had written, “To travel… to observe… to paint the wonders of God’s creation is to celebrate life." Funeral service will be 11:00 AM January 13, 2014, at the Zaagman Memorial Chapel, Rev. Wilbert Van Dyk officiating. Visitation hours at the Zaagman Memorial Chapel are January 12, Sunday, from 2 to 5 PM and Monday from 10 to 11 AM prior to the service. Interment Woodlawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Back to God Hour or Bethany Christian Homes.
BUIS, SHIRLEY L. Hudsonville Shirley L. Buis, age 86, of Hudsonville, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, January 10, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Harry Buis. She is survived by her children, Mary Etta and Rev. Eildert Zwart, Timothy and Karen Buis, David and Pamela Buis, Paul and Barbara Buis; 13 grandchildren; ten greatgrandchildren; her brothers, Don and Millie Vos, Arthur and Joanne Vos; several nieces and nephews. Funeral services for Shirley will be held on Monday at 11:00 A.M. at the Hudsonville Reformed Church with Rev. Don Van Slyke officiating. Interment at Vriesland Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet with the family at the VanderLaan Funeral Home on Sunday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. Memorial contributions maybe made to Hudsonville Reformed Church or Words of Hope. VANDERLAAN-HUDSONVILLE www.vanderlaanfuneralhome.net
BURKE, MILDRED 1/21/1918 - 1/4/2014 Mildred "Corky" McCorkle Burke passed away peacefully at Rockynol. She was preceded in death by husbands, Norman Sullivan and Edward Burke; parents, Grover and Mary Jane McCorkle and sisters, Margaret Gower and Genevieve Woods. She is survived by sister, Doris Sorenson of New Brighton, MN; brother, Dan (Mary Jane) McCorkle of Akron, OH; stepdaughter, Carey (Tom) Jones of The Villages, FL; two stepgrandsons and several nieces and nephews. She lived most of her life in Grand Rapids, MI, where she enjoyed the symphony, theater, the art museum and volunteering for the American Red Cross. She returned to her birthplace in Akron, OH in 2007 to live at Rockynol Retirement Community until her death. Private Services will be held at a later date. Please visit www.hummelcares.com to share memories or condolences. continued on next page
B4 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS / SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014
EVERTSBERG, VERNA M.
Obituaries 1/12 continued from previous page
DOYLE, DONNA
CURRY, KAY
CHASSEE, JOAN T. Wyoming Joan T. Chassee, aged 86, of Wyoming, passed away on Wednesday, January 1, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, William R. Chassee. Surviving are her children, Joan (David) Mazurkiewicz, William (Deborah) Chassee, Dennis (Jean) Chassee, Renee (Dennis) Smith, Brian (Lee) Chassee; 11 grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren. A beautiful person inside and out, Joan captivated with her warm smile and a wonderful sense of humor through her final days. Always one to put family first, Joan will continue to live on in the hearts of the family that she treasured above all things. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 18 at 11 AM at St. John Vianney Church, 4101 Clyde Park SW, Wyoming. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.
Marcella Kay Curry, aged 60, of Wyoming, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, January 8, 2014. She was preceded in death by her parents, Durward and Delaine "Dolly" Young. She will be greatly missed by her husband of 22 years, Clarence; children, Valerie Monterusso (William Moody), Karla Monterusso; grandchildren, Malachi McCray, Alionah McCray, Jalena Monterusso; brother, Randy (Pam) Young; nieces and nephews. Kay worked as a sign language interpreter for the deaf for many years. Funeral services will be held 2 PM Monday at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home, 4031 Clyde Park SW, Wyoming with Pastor Dennis Gilbert officiating. A time of visitation with Kay’s family will be Monday, 1-2 PM prior to the service. Memorial donations may be made to Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, MI Agency for the Deaf or Mel Trotter Ministries. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.
Donna Doyle, age 69, of Brownsburg, IN, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2014 after a long battle with COPD. She was surrounded by her loving family and devoted dog and best friend, Digits. She was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Thomas Doyle; and sister, Sherrie Law. Donna is survived by her two daughters, Rene (Brad) Bailie of Grandville, MI and Shannon (Billy) Cherry of Brownsburg, IN; seven grandchildren, Cory, Brian, T. J. Brown and Tommie Bailie of Grandville, MI and Kyle, Tristan, and Halie Cherry of Brownsburg, IN. One brother, Terry (Lenore) Ferstle who gave her time on the seas aboard a sailboat named Puffin. She will be deeply missed by many nieces, nephews, and especially her dear friends Billy Spisak, Cal Willsey, Dave King, Lael Lorenger, and Marc Moloy. Following her wishes no service will be held. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the radical environmen tal movement Earth First-To put it simply, the Earth must come first or any Humane Society. www.wepay.com/donations/theearth-first-journal. Donna spent countless hours dedicating her time and money to causes that were rooted deeply in her heart and soul; if it could benefit the earth and or wildlife then Donna was part of it. She was a proud vegetarian, lover of nature and she truly loved working in the dirt creating beautiful flower beds and vegetable gardens. Online condolences may be shared at www.conklefuneralhome.com
DUBRIDGE, LYNN ALLAN
COOLIDGE, DOROTHY Dorothy (Couch) Coolidge, aged 94, of Grand Rapids, passed away in her sleep January 6, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband, Barnum Coolidge (Pete), her sisters, Lois Couch Scott (Jack), Anne Couch Funderburg (William Russell ’Russ’), Geraldine Couch Eubank (Bill), brother-inlaw, John K. Coolidge (Jack) and wife, Magrieta, and sisterin-law, Susan Cushing (Fred). She is survived by a son and three daughters, John K. Coolidge (Donna Stoner) of Caledonia, MI, Patricia Coolidge Harvey (David) of Grand Rapids, MI, Kathleen Coolidge Bacon (Bruce ) of Kentwood, MI, and Susan Coolidge of Colorado Springs, CO. Also surviving are six grandchildren, Jennifer Harvey Rauschenberger (Mike), Joseph Harvey (Gerri) Elizabeth Coolidge Reed (Elton), Carrie Bacon, Christopher Bacon, and Peter Coolidge; greatgranddaughter, Katie Rauschenberger; and many nieces and nephews. All will greatly miss their "Grama Dort". As a young person (age 19), she was very adventurous and moved to New York to work for the Florida exhibit of the 1939 World’s Fair. She told those stories often as this was among the highlights of her life. She loved her family above all and sacrificed greatly to raise four children on her own, three of whom were teenagers. Having played on the girls basketball team in high school, she developed a lifelong love of all sports. She also loved visiting the Traverse City relatives and the beaches and forests of northern Michigan. She was the long-time parish secretary of Grace Episcopal Church of East Grand Rapids, retiring in 1982. It is with profound love and respect that we say goodbye. The family wishes to thank Whispering Woods Retirement Community and Great Lakes Caring (Hospice) for their attentive and caring service. We are honoring our mother’s wishes to not have a funeral service. We’ll miss you Mom. If you so choose, donations in Dorothy’s name can be made to your local hospice, or the Grass River Nature Conservancy, P.O. Box 231, Bellaire, MI 49615.
HERRING, CAROL FAHL, MILDRED ANN
CURTIS, RALPH E. Ralph E. Curtis Jr, age 72 of Jenison, passed away January 10, 2014. He was preceded in death by his son, Tony; and by his brother, sisters and step siblings. Ralph is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dorothy; his son Dan (Sherry) Curtis; granddaughters Kristi (Jeb) Bartlett, Kate Curtis; brother Gary (Kathy) Curtis; sister, Evelyn Curtis; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Phyllis Curtis, Pauline (John) Marvin, Gene (Linda Geers) Kowalczyk, Bernadette (Mike) Morgan; as well as several step brothers and step sisters. A service to remember and celebrate his life will be held on Tuesday, January 14 at 7 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW where friends may visit with his family from 5 PM until the time of the service. For those who wish, memorial contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are appreciated. To read more about Ralph, to share a favorite memory or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com.
CUTLER, FLOYD "CHIEF" Floyd "Chief" Cutler, age 76, went to be with his Lord, Friday, January 10, 2014. Service information is pending and the full obituary will be online at www.cookcares.com as well as in Tuesday’s press.
CZEREW, ELIZABETH "BETTY" Mrs. Elizabeth “Betty” Czerew, widow of Richard, age 93, arrangements pending.
Lynn Allan Dubridge, age 78, of Morley passed away on Thursday, January 09, 2014 at his home. Lynn was born on April 12, 1935 in Grand Rapids, MI, the son of Henry Francis and Mildred Lucille (Loree) Dubridge. He was raised in the Grand Rapids area and attended Union High School. On April 24, 1954, he married his wife of 60 years, Dorothy Sherman in Grand Rapids, whom he had met at a square dance in Morley. He was employed as a general laborer for Bissell, S & S and Blackmere Pump and as a truck driver for Tubular Sales until his retirement in 1980. His hobbies included music, as he loved to play in a band, wood working and car repair. Lynn was a member of the Saint Franciscan Order and the St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Remus. Lynn is survived by his wife, Dorothy; their children: John Dubridge of Altona, Dianne Dubridge of Grand Rapids and Luanne (Gary) Brown of Kentwood; 16 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and four siblings: “Barney” Charles Dubridge of Cedar Springs, “Bob” Robert (Bonnie) Dubridge of Morley, “Lonny” Leon (Helen) Dubridge of Standale and Nyra Getzel of Morley; many extended family members and friends. Lynn was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Mildred; a child, Roxanne Johnson; a grandchild, Tarul Ward; and siblings: Flinton (Nora) Dubridge, “Harry” Henry (Irene) Dubridge, Don Dubridge, Lucy (Jerry) Vidro; sister-in-law Evah Dubridge and brother-in-law, Bob Getzel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at Saint Michael’s Catholic Church, 5045 Nine Mile Road in Remus with Father Aaron Ferris officiating. A luncheon will be served following the Mass. The family will receive the love and support from extended family and friends at a visitation scheduled from 2 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, January 13, 2014 at Brigham Funeral Chapel, 9977 W. Howard City-Edmore Road in Lakeview. A rosary will take held from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Memorial contributions in Lynn’s name may be made to Hospice of Michigan. Condolences may be expressed to the family utilizing the guest book on our website at: www.brighamfuneralchapel.com
Verna M. Evertsberg, age 83, of Caledonia, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, January 11, 2014. Verna was preceded in death by her parents, Adrian and Nelle Folkersma; and her brother, Edward Folkersma. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 59 years, David; her children, Dr. William (Kathy) Evertsberg, Mark (Pam) Evertsberg; her grandchildren, Michael, Taylor, and Kendra Evertsberg; her sister-in-law, Betty Folkersma; her nieces, Joy and Jeralyn Folkersma; her grand nieces, Angie and Judy Folkersma. The funeral service will be held 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 14, at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church, 1800 Plymouth Ave. SE, with Rev. Steve DeVries officiating. Interment in Blain Cemetery. Memorial contributions to Crossroad Bible Institute will be appreciated. The family will receive friends on Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. at: STROO FUNERAL HOME 1095 68TH ST. SE www.stroofuneralhome.com
Mrs. Mildred Ann Fahl aged 84 of Caledonia, passed away Wednesday, January 8, 2014. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Otis “Bud” Fahl; sons, Otis III “Sam” (Tracy), Craig, Kevin (Marcia); six grandchildren; three step grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. To share a memory or photo and to sign the family’s online guestbook, please visit www.stegengafuneralchapel.com
Stegenga Belmont
Carol Herring, age 67, of Byron Center, passed away, Thursday, January 09, 2014. She is survived by her husband, Lawrence; her brother, Bob DeVries; her sister, Janice Zink; and many nieces and nephews. At Carol’s request a private burial service has been held. Arrangements by Cook Funeral Home, Byron Center 878-9744. The family welcomes messages and memories on their online guest book at www.cookcares.com
Wyoming
FLEEGER, MRS. FRANCES
HANSEN (VICK), MILDRED LOUISE Mrs. Mildred "Vicki" Hansen, age 82, of Grand Rapids, passed away January 3, 2014. She was born August 2, 1931 in Libby, MT. She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Donald E. Hansen in November, 2004. She is survived by her daughter, Anne Hansen Stoll; son, Bruce (Nicole) Hansen; grandson, Michael (Jenna) Stoll; brother, Dr. Charles (Carol) Vick of Minnesota; sister-inlaw, Lois (Joseph) Nemes of Montana; brother-in-law, Alan (Julie) Hansen of Kentucky; and many nieces and nephews. Vicki called numerous places home throughout her life including many different towns in Montana where her father was a Methodist minister and where she met the man she would marry. Vicki graduated from Hamlin University in Minnesota with a degree in History and was a lifelong history buff. She was thrilled to trace her mother’s family history back to Old Drawyers Church in Delaware where she learned of family history going back to the 1700’s. Vicki and Don were married in 1955 and had their two children in Bismarck, ND, where they lived for 13 years and had many cherished friendships that exist today. In 1967, they moved to Michigan, where they spent three years in Port Huron, then settled in Grosse Pointe Park for 20 years where Vicki worked for Grosse Pointe Public Schools as an accompanist for the Grosse Pointe North High School Choir. She also worked for the Windsor Light Opera Association’s musical productions for many years playing the piano for rehearsals and performing in the orchestra for productions. Music came naturally to her. She was an especially keen sight-reader. She was a highly sought-after accompanist to music students performing recitals. Vicki loved reading books, magazines and newspapers (especially the New York Times and working the crossword puzzles). Nearing retirement, Vicki and Don moved to Jenison to be closer to Anne, Bruce and Michael. Vicki’s last seven years were at Covenant Village of the Great Lakes where she enjoyed her life and many friends tremendously. A memorial service will be held Thursday, January 16th at 11 AM in the Fellowship Hall at Covenant Village at 2510 Lake Michigan Drive. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.
Stegenga Belmont
Wyoming
Mrs. Frances May Fleeger, age 85, of Grand Rapids, went home to be with her Lord on January 9, 2014. She was preceded in death and has now been reunited with her beloved husband, Francis; her twin sister, Ruth Fruhner; her parents, Ernest and Neva Ansted; and her dear friend, Leslie Littles, Sr. She is survived by her children, Linda and David Borck, Roger Fleeger, Colleen Secord, Mary and Harold Hamilton, Lois and Larry Homrich; three grandchildren, Jeffrey (Gloria) Secord, Jamie (Richard) St. Arnold, Rachele (Kevin) Boyce; many great-grandchildren; and brother-in-law, Sylvester (MaryAnn) Fleeger. Interment will take place at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens and a private service will be held. For those who wish, please consider a donation in Frances’ memory to Mel Trotter Missions. To read more about her life, to share a memory or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com.
HOFF, ALBERT HERMAN Albert Herman Hoff, aged 93, passed away Thursday, November 28, 2013. Born 1920 in Pittsburg, PA to Emma Junge and William H. Hoff, he grew up in Bronx, NY. Moving to Fort Lee NJ as a teen, while attending high school, he met his future wife, Anita Bowen. He completely restored his first car, a Model A Ford. Al grew up through the Great Depression, that era having a lasting impact. After High School, Al joined Bell McClure News Syndicate, now United Features Syndicate in New York while completing night studies in Accountancy and Business Administration at Pace Institute in June 1942. Al, a US Army WW II veteran served July 1942 – December 1945 in Africa, Italy, France and Germany. War interrupted their plans, but Al and Anita married on December 26, 1945, within weeks of Al’s discharge. Al returned to his job and to Pace College earning his Bachelor Degree in Business administration in 1954. In 1951, they built their first home, in Demarest NJ. They resided there for the next 36 years, raising three children, Robert, Stephen, and Melinda. Together Al and ‘Nita enjoyed the outdoors, camping, traveling, square dancing, gardening and remodeling. Retiring to Ormond Beach Florida, they continued their interests until illness restrained them. Al is survived by his two sons, Robert and Stephen, and daughter, Melinda. A memorial service will be Saturday 3pm, January 18th at First United Methodist Church Chapel Grand Rapids. Memorials may be made to Clark Home, Grand Rapids MI or to the USO.
HOWARTH, ALLAN Allan Ricky Howarth, age 62, of Grand Rapids, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 after fighting a long and courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Jeanne; sons, Jeffrey, David and Daniel; beloved granddaughter, Leah Grace; sisters, Charlene (Jerry) Jewel, Bonnie Metzgar; and brother, Dan (Barb) Howarth. He was devoted to his faith and family. His family will receive visitors Monday, 5-7 PM at the Arsulowicz Brothers Remembrance Mortuary, 3525 Remembrance NW. Memorial contributions to Gilda’s Club will be appreciated.
INMAN, PETER Dorr, MI Peter Inman, age 56, passed away January 5, 2014, in Dorr, MI. Peter is survived by his mother, Jessie Croce; brothers, Michael (Debbie) Inman, and James (Theresa) Inman; sister, Vicki (Julian) Carrizales; stepsisters, Michelle Croce and Maryanne Slakstoski; stepbrother, Ken Huizenga; many nieces, nephews and his faithful companion, Rachael Bokelmann. He was preceded in death by his father, Carlton Inman, his step-father, Art Croce and his brother, Wayne Inman. Following Peter’s wishes, cremation has taken place and no services will be held at this time. Arrangements by Kubiak-Cook Funeral Services, 4330 18th St., Dorr. The family would like to thank the staff of Faith Hospice Trillium Woods for the loving care and support. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Faith Hospice Trillium Woods. The family welcomes memories in their guest book online at www.kubiakcook.com.
INVERSO, KAY Wayland, MI Kay Mary Inverso, aged 74 of Wayland, Michigan, passed away Saturday, January 4, 2014 after a long illness. Kay was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a homemaker and a longtime member of the Wayland VFW Post 7581 Women’s Auxiliary. She is survived by her children: Anthony (Nancy) Inverso, Cheri Inverso and Kris Presson, Robert (Claudia) Inverso, and Missy (Mark) Stora; ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; her sister Mary Lou Freeman; her sister-in-law Rebecca Barasso; and many nieces and nephews. Kay was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years Elias "Jake" Inverso, her parents, two brothers, a sister and three brothers-in-law. According to her wishes cremation has taken place. Memorial contributions may be made to the Women in Military Service for America Memorial www.womensmemorial.org. Her family welcomes memories and messages in their guest book online at www.kubiakcook.com
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS / B5
PATTOK, ROBERT
Obituaries .
JOSEPH, LAURETTE
LAVEN, ANNA MAE
LOVELY, LIBERTY OLIVE
MARFIA, LOUISE RUTH
Mrs. Laurette Joseph, aged 91, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on January 11, 2014. She was born in Three Rivers, Quebec, Canada, in 1922. She graduated from Three Rivers High School in Quebec and went on to attend Ursline University, where she earned a Business Degree. She worked in Canada as a Office Manager and left in 1949 for Grand Rapids, Michigan to marry Victor Joseph. Laurette worked as bookkeeper from 1949 to 1987 when she retired. She was preceded in death by her husband Victor, her parents Abraham and Saleme Aboud, three sisters; Selma (Joseph) Kassis, Mary (Ferris) William and Margo Howell. She is survived by her son, Victor (Sharon) Joseph; daughter Diane (Jim) Brogger; her beloved grandchildren; Laura (Don) Drake, Anthony (Em) Carpenter and Danielle (Stacey) Haynes; and beloved greatgrandchildren, Maddison and Adam Haynes, Mason Carpenter and Christian Drake; nephew, Abe (Antoinette) Howell and their children; Ashley, Michael and Joanna. Laurette’s main focus in her life was to love and nurture her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a marvelous cook, and also enjoyed traveling and going to the Casino. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, January 14, 2014, at 11:00 am at the St. George Orthodox Church, with the very Reverend Father John Winfrey officiating. Interment Woodlawn Cemetery. Her family will receive friends at Zaagman Memorial Chapel, 2800 Burton St SE, on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 with a Trisagion prayer service at 8:00 pm. Memorial Contributions are suggested to St. George Orthodox Church. The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at Breton Manor Holland Home, and the whole staff of Faith Hospice for their wonderful care.
Anna Mae (Kruisenga) Laven, age 82, of Hess Lake in Newaygo, went to be with her Lord on Wednesday, January 8, 2014. Anna attended Kellogsville High School and later worked for Rogers Department Store in sales. She was very active in her church, singing in the choir and as a soloist. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Elizabeth Kruisenga; brothers, George and James; a great-granddaughter, Addyson Jewel Streur; and in-laws, Melvin and Anna Laven. Surviving are her husband of 60 years, Philip; her children, Laura (Beryl) Brown, Tim (Linda) Laven, Jayne Vander Heuvel, Ruth (Lance) Brower; nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren, brother-in-law, Donald (Judie) Laven; nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be held 11 am Monday, January 13, at Stroo Funeral Chapel, with Rev. Kip Hasselbring officiating. Interment in Rosedale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to JDRF, Faith Hospice, or the Alzheimer’s Association. The family will greet visitors on Sunday from 6 to 8 pm and Monday one hour prior to the service at: STROO FUNERAL HOME 1095 68TH ST. SE www.stroofuneralhome.com
Liberty Olive Lovely age 95 passed away peacefully on Friday, January 10, 2014 with her family at her side. She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Edward Lovely, sons, Allen and Robert. She is survived by her daughter, Betsy and Roger Leech; eight grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 14, 11:00 A.M. at the Funeral Home. Interment in Blythefield Memory Gardens. Friends may meet the family at the funeral home on Monday 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to The American Kidney Association, or Emmanuel Hospice. Hessel-Cheslek Funeral Home, Sparta www.hesselcheslek.com
Louise Ruth Marfia, age 90, passed away January 1, 2014. She is preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Tony; sons Craig and Dennis; and brother, Clifford Cunningham. She is survived by her sister, Dorothy Burke; grandchildren, Sean (Paula) Marfia, Chris (Cate) Marfia, Adam (Jessica) Marfia; and great-grandchildren, Rachel, Patrick, Sarah, Austin, Evelyn, and Annette. In honor of Louise’s wishes, no memorial will be held.
KUTCHIN, ELEANOR M. "TOOTIE" Eleanor M. “Tootie” Kutchin, aged 92, of Grand Rapids, peacefully passed away in the presence of her loving family on Tuesday afternoon, January 7, 2014. She was preceded in death by her son, Craig Kutchin and her husband, Norman Kutchin. She is survived by her children, Donald and Mary Kutchin, Cindy Brooks; seven grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren; her brother, James (Marge) Brown; her sister-in-law, Joyce Smedes; many nieces, nephews and friends. Eleanor was a kind and loving wife, mother and grandmother. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered. A service to Celebrate Tootie’s life will be held on Monday morning at 11 AM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. Burial in Rosedale Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet her family at the funeral home on Sunday from 5-8 PM. To read more about Tootie’s life, to sign her guest book and to leave your own memory of her, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com.
LUXFORD, GERALD "JERRY" Mr. Gerald “Jerry” Luxford, age 75, of Grand Rapids went to be with the Lord, Wednesday January 8, 2014. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Catherine; brothers: Larry, Ray and Bob; sister, Mary Harig. He is survived by his sisters in law, Norma and Shirley; nieces and nephews. Jerry was a friend to all who knew him. He received his Bachelor Degree from Aquinas College in 1960. In keeping with his wishes cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at a later date.
Mildred A. Martin, aged 102, of Fairfax, VA, formerly of Caledonia, passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2013. Memorial services for Mildred will be held in the spring of 2014. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.
MCNEIL, GERALDINE Mrs. Geraldine McNeil, age 85 of Wyoming, passed away Tuesday, January 7, 2014. A complete obituary will appear in Sunday, January 19th Grand Rapids Press and is available online at www.stegengafuneralchapel.com
Stegenga
LINDEMANN, GERD Gerd G. Lindemann, age 90, of Byron Center, born December 10, 1923 in Rodach, Germany died January 6, 2014 in Wyoming, MI. Gerd was a WWII veteran and fought in Africa as a Tiger Tank Commander; he was captured and brought to the USA as a prisoner of war. After the war, he returned to Germany in 1946 and immigrated to USA in 1962 with his wife, Ann. Gerd will be missed and remembered by his wife of 61 years, Ann; and his relatives and friends in Germany, Canada and the USA. Cremation will take place with private funeral services to be held at a later day. No flowers please-just prayers. Arrangements by Cook Funeral Home, Byron Center 878-9744.
MARTIN, MILDRED
Belmont
Wyoming
MCCARTY, MARY Mary Louise McCarty, aged 96, entered into eternal life on Saturday, January 4, 2014. Mary was born on May 30, 1917 in Lambert, MT, where her family homesteaded and raised horses for the government while assisting with the war effort. Her childhood was difficult as she lost her father at a very young age. Her mother moved back to Grand Rapids with her children because she had a sister here who could help. Mary grew up and worked at Corduroy Rubber where she met the love of her life, Norman. They had three children together and lost one at 18 months. She was preceded in death by her infant son, Charles Norman, her husband of 49 years, Norman Charles McCarty, and her special grandson, Keith Bassett, siblings, Juanita Alden, Eileen Piechocki, Maxine Merryman, James Price, and Thomas Price. She will be greatly missed by her surviving children, Dian Conti of Grand Rapids, Ron Conti of Grand Rapids, Terry McCarty and Barbara of Winter Haven, FL; grandchildren, Kimberly, Bret and Michele Conti of Grand Rapids, Sean McCarty of Las Vegas, NV, and Ian and Evangeline McCarty of Georgia. Also surviving are great grandchildren, Bret Conti, Duan Swagerty, Nicholas Conti, Michele Conti-Fifelski; great-great grandchildren, Amayah Swagerty, Jace Lesnau; and sisters-in-law, Mary Jane Price and Ilah Price. A Memorial Service will be held at 11 AM on Monday, January 13, 2014 at Reyers North Valley Chapel. Please join her family for visitation from 10-11 AM at the funeral home with a reception following. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to St. Jude’s Childrens Research, and the Salvation Army.
MIEDEMA, DAVID W. David W. Miedema, age 63, of Elkhart, IN went home to be with the Lord on January 7, 2014 at 1:14 p.m. at Elkhart General Hospital. He was born on September 16, 1950 in Grand Rapids, MI to Donald William Miedema and Kathleen M. (Vanderwerf) Miedema. He married Wanda L. Harper on February 14, 1981 in Princeton, IN. He was an Electrical Engineer at Mercury Displacement Industries in Edwardsburg for the past 28 years. He was a graduate of Michigan State University in 1972. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Miedema of Elkhart; son, Captain David W. (Tiffany) Miedema, Jr, M.D. of the U.S. Army of Ft. Drum, New York; granddaughter, Renee Miedema of Ft. Drum, New York; mother, Kathleen Miedema of Jenison, MI; sister, Linda (Jack) McCarty of Grand Rapids, MI; brother, Thomas (Sherry) Miedema White Cloud, MI; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Miedema in 2001. Visitation will be held Saturday from 2-5 p.m. at Waterman Westbrook Clouse Funeral Home in Elkhart. Services will be held Sunday at First Baptist Church in Bristol, Indiana at 2 p.m. Pastor John Blodgett of First Baptist Church, Bristol will officiate. He will be missed for his many acts of service and willingness to help others. Memorial contributions may be sent to Elkhart Christian Academy, 25943 County Road 22, Elkhart, IN 46517 and MPN Research Foundation, 180 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1870, Chicago, IL 60601. Waterman Westbrook Clouse Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.
Robert Pattok, age 83, passed away Sunday January 5, 2014 at home with his two sons by his side. Bob was pre1/12 ceded in death by his beloved wife Bernadine (Bonnie) Pattok in 2002, and his brothers, John, George, Joe and his sister Anne Grinzel. He is survived by his sisters, Eleanor Rossi of Grand Rapids and Rosemarie Ernst of Tacoma, Washington; his children, Mark & Tracy Pattok, Greg & Lynn Pattok, and Grandchildren Eric & Kelli Pattok, Shelby Pattok, Alex Pattok; great-granddaughter, Lily Pattok and many nieces and nephews. Bob graduated from Catholic Central High school in 1948. He was a veteran of the METZGER, BEATRICE USAF serving from 1950-1955 Beatrice Metzger nee as S/Sgt 81st Air Sea Rescue, National Defense Betteridge went to eternal life awarded on January 8th, 2014 at age Service Medal, Good Conduct 97 with her family by her side. Medal and Army Occupation A longtime resident of Grand Medal. After the service, Bob Rapids. She was preceded in operated his restaurant Bob’s death by her son, James Burger Master in Grand Rapids Metzger (1981) and husband, where he met his loving wife Arthur A. Metzger (1999). She Bernadine (Bonnie) Goble and leaves a daughter, Pat where sons Greg and Mark Schmitt; and a son, Arthur C. were born. The family moved to (Debra) Metzger; six grandchil- Florida where Bob worked as dren: Thomas B. Schmitt, Car- Regional Sales Manager for rie (Mark) Bradstreet, Julie (Ev- Sears and Woolworth until 1975 erett) Biesbrook, Jeff (Amy) at which time he was medically Schmitt, Matt (Vivi) Metzger, disabled due to illness arising Nick (Nikki) Metzger; and nine from his time in the Air Force. great-grandchildren. Following Bob and Bonnie returned to her wishes cremation has tak- Michigan and raised their two en place and a Memorial Serv- sons at their home on Tacoma ice will be held at Fulton Man- lake in Stanton. After his sons or of Holland Home, 1450 E. went to college, Bob and BonFulton, Grand Rapids, MI nie moved to Sebastian, Florida 49503 on Saturday, January where they spent some of their 18th, 2014 at 2:00 pm. The best years together. After Bonfamily will greet friends one nie passed (date), Bob moved hour prior to the service. The back to Michigan where he family would like to thank the could be close to his family and staff at Fulton Manor of Hol- grandchildren. Bob was a treland Home for the exceptional mendously dedicated and loving care that Beatrice received father as well as grandfather while she was there. Memorial with strength, wisdom and an contributions may be made to unfailing positive attitude that carried him far above the limitaHolland Home. tions of his illness. He will be so deeply missed by his family on this earth. We rejoice in his life and are happy he is once again peacefully in the company of his wife. Bob was a life member of DAV, member of American Legion, Audubon Society and Arbor day. A memorial service will be held Saturday January 18, 2014 at 11:00 am at Parish of the Holy Spirtit, 2230 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Visitation will be held immediately preceding the Memorial from 10:00 to 11:00 ONDERSMA, FRED am. Memorial contributions in Grandville lieu of flowers may be made to Fred Ondersma, age 96, of Wings of Hope Hospice, 530 Grandville, went to be with his Linn Street, Allegan, Michigan Lord on Wednesday, January 8, 49010. 2014. Fred was the owner of Star Dairy. He was preceded in death by three greatgrandchildren; sisters, Ruth VandenBerg, Anita Zaagman, Betty Dykehouse; brothers, Sidney Ondersma, Arthur Ondersma, Ralph Ondersma; son-in-law, Robert Moelker. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 74 years, Marion; daughters, Kaye Moelker, Rose and Gary Moelker, Judy and Larry Meulenberg; 17 grandchildren, Arlene and Henry Westhuis, Amy and Russ Zwak, Michael and Jennifer Moelker, Scott and Sharla Moelker, Todd PONIATOWSKI, DANIEL Moelker, Tami and James Boorsma, Lynette and Scott Daniel Edward Poniatowski was Oosterhouse, Jeremy and Heidi born on August 29, 1953 in Meulenberg, David and Dawn Grand Rapids, MI and died on Meulenberg, Marianne and Rick January 6, 2014 from complicaDeVries, Mark and Candace tions of kidney disease. He was Meulenberg, Jodianne and Dar- preceded in death by his father, yl Koole, Julianne and Curt Gerald J. Poniatowski. SurvivGritters, Cherianne and Brad ing are his wife, Julie (nee VanderVeen, Joshua and Carrie Vidervol) Poniatowski, of 18 ½ Meulenberg, Caleb and Sandra years going on 23 ½, because it Meulenberg, Matthew took him five years to ask. Also Meulenberg; 60 great- surviving are his mother, Dograndchildren; nine great-great- lores Poniatowski; sister, Mary grandchildren; sisters, Mary (Rick) Szczepanski; and brothPrince, Esther Penninga; er, Tom (Deb) Poniatowski. Dan sisters-in-law, Vera Ondersma, worked for Canteen Services Dorothy Ondersma. A private for over 40 years as a service committal service will be held tech. He loved the blues and Monday morning with burial at was known as Dan the Blues Riverbend Cemetery, Rev. Arie Man. He was handy and loved DenHartog officiating. A memo- building and fixing things. He rial service will be held on Mon- will be greatly missed. Family day at 7 pm at Southwest Prot- and friends are invited to estant Reformed Church, 4875 Reyers North Valley Chapel for Ivanrest SW, Grandville, with visitation on Friday, January 17, Professor Ronald Cammenga 2014 from 5:30-9:00 PM. The officiating. Relatives and friends family would like to extend a may meet the family Sunday thank you to all the healthcare from 2-4 pm at Matthysse- providers that "fixed him up" Kuiper-DeGraaf Funeral Home over the years and a special (Grandville) 4145 Chicago Dr. thanks to Spectrum Health HosSW. Those who wish may make pice for helping him find peace. memorial contributions to Protestant Reformed Special Education. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com. continued on next page
B6 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS / SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014
RITTENGER, ROBERT LOWELL
Obituaries 1/12 continued from previous page
RADIUS, DAVID Formerly of Grand Rapids
PREHN, EUGENE Eugene James Prehn, age 88, of McBain, went home to be with the Lord on January 9, 2014, at his home with his family by his side. He was born on August 8, 1925 at Eaton Rapids to Charles and Florence (Burkett) Prehn. He married Virginia Marks on March 1, 1947 at McBain and she preceded him in death on November 22, 2011. Gene moved to the McBain area at the age of 15 from the city and became a farmboy through and through. He farmed all his working years. He graduated from the McBain High School and attended Michigan Ag. College (MSU). He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a member of the McBain Presbyterian Church. He enjoyed drawing, reading, history and autobiographies and no one could say anything bad about him as a person. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, Gail J. Washington of Grandville, and her children, Christene (Aaron) Altman, Brooke, Jordan, Payton and Cara Washington. Beth Bowers of McBain and her children, Melissa (Mike) Abbott, Austin, Caleb, Melinda Markham, Stephen and Kaylynn and his son, James Prehn of McBain; sister, Marion Benzing of Battle Creek; and a sister-in-law, Joyce Heckler of Spring Lake. He was preceded in death by his wife, a son-inlaw, Booker Washington; a sister-in-law, Dorothy (Victor) Heuy; and a brother-in-law, Ron Heckler. Funeral services will he held Saturday, January 11, at 2 PM at the Lake City United Methodist Church with Assistant Judy Coffey officiating and Brooke Pruce and Payton Purnell assisting. Burial will take place in the spring at Mount View Cemetery, McBain. Visitation will be from 4-7 PM Friday at the Burkholder Family Funeral Home, 211 N. Pine St., McBain, 1-231-8191. Memorial contributions may be made to one of choice. Thoughts and prayers may be left at www.burkholdfamilyfuneralhome.com.
HONOR YOUR LOVED ONE. Call to place an obituary 800.878.1511
David Paul Radius, age 20, completed his earthly journey and received the ultimate healing on Friday, December 27, 2013. He raised his arms to Jesus and Jesus took him home. He was greeted by his brother, Chip, at Heaven’s gates. David will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by his parents, Steve and Laurel Radius; and his sister, Amy. He is also survived by his great-grandma, Adrianna Kleinjan; his grandparents, Dave and Rosemary Radius, Roger and Sharla (Schipper) Wyngarden, Ben and Kay Kruithoff and Judy Knapp; aunts and uncles, Mark and Karla Radius (Kaitlyn, Bethany and ,Kelly), Dan and Val Teitsma (Nicole, Chad and Brooke), Thomas and Muriel Richeal (TJ and Elizabeth), George and Cheryl Felton (Judy, Jessica and Aaron), Travis and Jennifer Knapp (Jenna, Jordyn, and Noah); and many other loving friends and relatives. David loved his family and enjoyed watching movies. His favorite movies were about dogs, Homeward Bound, Beethoven and IronWill. He loved dogs, therapeutic horseback riding, Hummers (especially yellow ones) and Oreo Cookies. His biggest love was Jesus. David and Chip both had Hunter Syndrome. If you would like to make a donation in David’s name for research, hope and a cure, please do so to the National MPS Society (www.mpssociety.org). Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel in charge of arrangements.
Robert James Rittenger, age 85 of Lowell, passed away Saturday January 11, 2014, surrounded by his loving family. Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma Rittenger in 1985 and his son, Steven Rittenger. He is survived by his wife, Sharon (Pedley) Rittenger and his children, Paul and (Jennifer) Rittenger, Diane (Paul) Papranec, Denise Rittenger, Donna (John) Browne, Denise (Chris) DeLong. Bob was blessed with 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Bob was born and raised on the family farm in Alto, Michigan and lived in Lowell, Michigan his entire life. He was a proud tool and die maker for General Motors for 41.4 years. He loved the outdoors, travel and his family. Visitation will be Monday, 6-8 PM at the Roth Gerst Chapel, 305 N. Hudson, Lowell. Funeral Services will be Tuesday (time to be announced) at First United Methodist Church of Lowell, 621 E. Main St., Lowell.
PRILL, MARCIA
READER, MARYAN E.
Marcia Kay Prill, born the only daughter of Stephen and Margaret Rau, was called home on January 6th, 2014. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles Prill. She is survived by her children, Margaret Mumford, Ken and Pam Geer, and James Geer; grandchildren, Kathryn, David, Brandon, and Brooke; as well as three great-grandchildren. Marcia was well-known for her bold personality and feisty spirit. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.
Maryan E. Reader, aged 90, passed away gracefully on January 11, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, J. Thomas Reader on December 31, 2000. Maryan was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1923 to Peter and Mattie. She had six sisters; Ferne, Hazel, Ruth, Esther, Dorothy, and Jacqueline. They and their spouses all preceded her in death. Mom is lovingly remembered by her daughter; Roxanne and Dave Downey, her son; Joe and Barb Reader, grandchildren; Joe, Jackie, John (fiancee Paige) and Jarod, and several nieces and nephews. Her family was her greatest joy. She loved to laugh and have fun. We are deeply grateful to Faith Hospice and the 305 N. Hudson staff at Heather Hills. There will Lowell, Michigan 49331 be a private family memorial at www.gerstfuneralhomes.com a later time. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
RYSKE, JACQUELYN ANN Jacquelyn Ann "Jackie" Rykse, is safe in the arms of her precious Savior Jesus Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin Gary and Mary Jackson; her sister, Marilyn Ruth (Burgess) Baribeau. She is survived by her children, Jill Price, Jan and Michael Karbon, Gary and Sue Rykse; her beloved nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren who were the lights of her life. Jackie loved the Lord Jesus and her family and friends. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 18, at 12:00 noon at the Zaagman Memorial Chapel, 2800 Burton St. SE, with Rev. Charles Walker officiating. Visitation will be Saturday from 11 am to 12 noon prior to the service. Inurnment Woodlawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Great Lakes Caring Hospice.
TANNER, MARGARET I. (STEDMAN) Margaret I. (Stedman) Tanner, died January 7, 2014, in Chelsea, MI, two days before her 92nd birthday. Funeral Service at 1 PM on Wednesday, January 22nd, at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, 901 N. Main St., Chelsea, MI 48118 (734-4751444). Visitation from 11 AM until time of service. Obituary at www.mitchellfuneral.com.
SNYDER, MARY E. Kalamazoo, MI Formerly of Jackson, MI and Fife Lake, MI
SINCLAIR, ANN MARIE
REAVIS, ROLAND L. "BUD" Roland "Bud" L. Reavis, aged 87 of Fruitland, FL, formerly of Caledonia passed away Saturday, January 4, 2014. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Mary; children, Jeffrey (Lisa) Reavis, Michael (Amy) Reavis, Rebecca (Becky) Savage, Julie Lupo, Robert (Julie) Szarowicz, Debra (William) Buckhout; 18 grandchildren; eight greatgrandchildren; brother, Wallace Reavis; sisters and brothers-inlaw, Patricia (Robert) Nelson, Sharon Pope, Lynne (Carlos Sanchez) Pope; very special friends, James Tobias, Frances Bailey; and many nieces, nephews and many special friends in Grand Rapids and Florida. Bud served our country during WW II and The Korean War. He was a dedicated choir member for 20 years at Holy Family Catholic Church. A Memorial Mass will be held Friday, January 17th at 11:00 am at Holy Family Catholic Church, 9669 Kraft SE with Father Mark Bauer celebrant. Members of the family will receive relatives and friends at the Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Chapel (Caledonia), 616 E. Main St. on Thursday, January 16, 2014 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. The family would like to thank the Emerald Team at Cornerstone Hospice for their wonderful are during these difficult times. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Florida or the Alzheimer’s Association. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.
Ann Marie Sinclair passed away at Spectrum Hospital on January 9, 2014, after a battle with cancer. Ann, age 57, was the daughter of Alice and Steven Bauer of Lowell, MI, who preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, Jeffrey Sinclair of Hastings; sisters, Susan (Leonard) Hanline and Sharon (Tony) Ellison (nephews Tony and Steven) of Lowell; Aunt, Judy Clippard of Swartz Creek and many loving family member in the Hastings area. Ann worked as a chemist at King Milling Company for 31 years before retiring. She loved traveling and visited 49 states and the British Isles with her husband and mother-in-law Jane Sinclair, who preceded her in death. Ann had a flair for decorating and created a lovely home. Ann was a kind and loving person and will be missed by her friends and family. Ann is also survived by nieces Jessi Baker, Tara Case and nephew Jason Sinclair. Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, January 12, 2014 from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm at the Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings. The funeral service will be held on Monday, January 13, 2014 at 10:00 am at the Country Chapel United Methodist Church, 9275 Michigan (M-37), Dowling, MI 49050. Interment will follow the service at Dowling Cemetery. A luncheon will be served at the church, following interment. Ann’s choice for charity contribution is, Lowell Pink Arrow Pride, c/o Lowell Community Wellness, P.O. Box 246, Lowell, MI 49331. Arrangements by Girrbach Funeral Home, please visit our website at www.girrbachfuneralhome.net to sign the online guestbook or to leave a message or memory for the family.
Mary Ellen Snyder, age 89, passed away on Saturday morning, January 4, 2014 in Kalamazoo, MI. She was born on June 20, 1924 in Hopkins, MI a daughter of Emil and Lydia (Plogsterd) Runkle. Mary received her Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan and she was a loving and dedicated teacher and principal in Jackson Public Schools for 28 years. On July 2, 1944, Mary married the love of her life, Dale S. Snyder who preceded her in death on November 28, 2010. Mary and Dale moved to Fife Lake after retiring and moved to Kalamazoo in 2005. They were members of First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo. Mary was a wonderful mother and grandmother. She adored her grandchildren and treasured time with them at the cottage on Fife Lake, treating them to her cinnamon rolls, s’mores and treasure hunts. Mary was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Dale, her parents and a brother, Phillip. She is survived by three children, Laura (Douglas) Brant of Grand Rapids, Thomas (Brenda) Snyder of Fife Lake and Matthew (Marijo) Snyder of Kalamazoo; 11 grandchildren, Kevin (Abby) Snyder, Elizabeth (Cameron) Marshall, Adam Brant, Jesse Snyder, Benjamin (Jill) Snyder, Katherine (Scott) Firman, Nathan, Carl, Brendan, Kristen and Colleen Snyder; three greatgrandchildren, Cavin and Keenan Snyder and Elliott Brant; two sisters, Ruth Penn and Elizabeth Horst; a brother, Thomas Runkel; and several nieces and nephews. In accordance to her wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Fife Lake United Methodist Church. Memorials may be made to Fife Lake Area Historical Society or Fife Lake United Methodist Church. Arrangements were made by Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Westside Chapel, 3926 South 9th Street. Please visit Mary’s personalized webpage at www.langelands.com 269-3431508.
THAYER, RALPH N. Ralph N. Thayer, age 87, of Grand Rapids went to be with his Lord on Thursday, January 9, 2014 while in residence at Porter Hills Retirement Community. Ralph was born in Natick, MA on June 10, 1926. He was preceded in death by his sister, Helen I. Thayer. Surviving are his wife of 64 years, Els Thayer (Boekman); their three children, Sandra A. Kelly (Pete), Kim L. Fields (Paul) and Marc W. Thayer (Polly); grandchildren, Erin A Fields, Ian B. Fields (Rachel), Alan C. Kelly, Amy R. Thayer, Alex W. Thayer (Mandy) and Asa J. Thayer, and his sister, Zaida A. June. He was a World War II Veteran serving with the USNR. Ralph received his undergraduate degree from Marietta College, Marietta, OH and a Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. He had extensive work experience in International Transportation Management. Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at the Meeting House of Porter Hills Retirement Community, where the family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service and during refreshments after the service. Inurnment will take place at Sunset Memorial Park in North Olmsted, OH. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Porter Hills Foundation Benevolent Fund or to Redeemer Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 8605 E. Fulton, Ada, MI 49301. The family is being served by
SHEAR, GAYLE B. Gayle B. Shear, age 91, of Byron Center, went to be with her Lord on Thursday, January 9, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ivan; son, William; grandson, Greg Shear; five sisters and one brother. Surviving are her children, Andrew (Teena) Shear, John (Joan) Shear, Jim (Judy) Shear; a daughter-in-law, Anna Shear; 11 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; sisters-inlaw, Helen Stevenson and Jean Shear; numerous nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be held 11 am Tuesday, January 14, at Stroo Funeral Home, with Rev. Bob Bolt officiating. Interment in Alaska Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Baptist Mid-Missions for the mission work of Roger and Norene Russ or Tim and Nancy Pierce. The family will greet relatives and friends on Sunday from 6 to 8 pm and Monday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm at: STROO FUNERAL HOME 1095 68TH ST. SE www.stroofuneralhome.com
VANDERSON, PETER ROBERT "BOB" Peter Robert "Bob" Vanderson, aged 83, of Grand Rapids, was a much loved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He peacefully entered eternal glory surrounded by his family on January 10, 2014. His life was a living testimony to the God he loved and served. Daily he read God’s word and prayed for his family and others. He was obedient to God’s command to care for those in need. Through his generous giving he touched many lives. Laughter often filled his home and his great sense of humor was with him to the end. He proudly served in the US Coast Guard 1950 to 1953. Bob was the owner and CEO of Jacobson Heating and Cooling for over 50 years. He served on many committees and boards throughout his life: President of the Consistory at East Leonard Christian Reformed Church, Vice Chair of Council of Education, President of Michigan Heating Association, President of Youth Commonwealth, and President of the Davenport Foundation Board. He was preceded in death by his brother, Theodore Vanderson. Bob is survived by his faithful and loving wife of 57 years, Charlene Vanderson, his children: Bob and Kathy Vanderson, Wendy and Ross Ouwinga, Tom and Linda Vanderson, and Jeff and Jenni Vanderson; his grandchildren: Ryan and Denise Ouwinga, Dan and Abby Vanderson, Scott Ouwinga, Rachel and Matt Perry, David and Ashley Ouwinga, Brad and Sam Vanderson, Brittany and Benjamin Knopf, Kevin and Jenni Vanderson, Grant, Dylan and Alina Vanderson, Troy and MaKayla Vanderson; great-grandchildren: Caden and Ella Ouwinga, Elijah and Annelise Ouwinga, Landon Perry, Fitz and Zuri Vanderson; and two more great grandsons to be born in the spring. He is also survived by his sister, Betty and Frank De Haan; and sisters-inlaw, Shirley Vanderson, Richanda and David Bolt, and Nancy and David Van Houten. Bob’s family would like to thank the entire nursing staff at Butterworth Spectrum Hospital for the loving and compassion ate care that he received there during his last days. Funeral services will be held Monday 12:00 pm at New Community Church, 2340 Dean Lake Ave. NE with Rev. Lewis VanderMeer officiating. The family will greet friends and relatives at the Zaagman Memorial Chapel, 2800 Burton St. SE, on Sunday, 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm. Interment Fairplains Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Bob’s memory may be made to New Communi ty Church or to Faith Baptist Church, 2140 Crystal Beach Rd., Winterhaven, FL 33880.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS / B7
VANDERZEE, THERESA Grandville
Mrs. Eleanor “Ellie” Sypniewski (nee Brzozowski) age 82 of Grand Rapids passed away peacefully Saturday January 11. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Matthew Szczytko and great grandson, Max Drueke. Survived by her husband of 64 years, Richard; daughters, Nancy (Tom) Szczytko, Debbie (Chuck) Reynolds, Sandy (Curt) VanEyk, Karen (Dan) Carmody, Lori Long and Sherry (Dan) Kilts; her son Dennis; 16 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Eleanor was a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Sacred Heart Alter Rosary Society and Kosciusko Hall Ladies Auxiliary. Ellie enjoyed singing the Polish National Anthem especially during Pulaski Days, and Sto Lat for every family birthday. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, 11AM at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, where her family will receive visitors one hour prior to the service. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery. Memorial contributions to a charity of one’s choice will be appreciated.
Theresa Vanderzee, aged 99, of Betty departed this Earth on DeGrandville. cember 26, 2013. She was preceded in death by her parents, Matthysse-Kuiper-DeGraaf Clarence and Dorothy Funeral Directors 534-8656 Finkbeiner; her brother and sister-in-law, David and Marian Finkbeiner; her grandson, Aaron Ward, and her partner of almost 50 years, Rose Mary Blakely. She is survived by her children, Pamela (Pete) Garza of Jenison; Paul (Linda) Ward of WESELA, CLARICE Berkeley Springs, WV; and (Regina) Ward of Clarice Wesela went to heaven Lance on January 10, 2014 to be with Grayslake, IL; her sister, Sallie God the Father. She was one of (Allyn) Niles of Caledonia, MI; God’s angels on earth by doing and a special cousin, Dixie Jo all of her kind, loving and giving VanderPol. She is also survived of herself to people along the by six grandchildren and 17 way. She has made a huge im- great-grandchildren; and many pact on many people’s lives. nieces and nephews. Sincere She was preceded in death by appreciation is given to Dan and many of her dearly beloved fam- Laura Maclam for their extraorily. Surviving is her son and dinary assistance over the care giver, William Wesela; her years, and a special thank-you daughter, Sandra (Kevin) Struik; to Sandy Abel for her care of grandson, Jason (Kate) Rey- Betty the past few years. Per nolds; grandson, Dr. Matthew Betty’s wishes, cremation has (Dr. Carrie) Reynolds; great- taken place and no services will granddaughter, Lavinia; and be held. Memorial donations granddaughter Jennifer (Aaron) may be made to the Humane Fillenworth. Also surviving are Society of West Michigan, 3077 numerous nieces, Dora Wilson Drive NW, Grand RapWierenga, Gloria Cok, Janet ids, MI 49534.
Mr. Donald F. VanderNoot, age 81, of Grand Rapids, MI passed away Thursday January 9, 2014. He is survived by his daughter, Marie VanderNoot; and grandchildren, Lisa Pifer, Mike Pifer and Katie Parson of Alabama. He was preceded in death by his mother and father; sisters, Delores and Patricia; and by his brother, Ray Ross. Don loved to ride his motorcycle and enjoyed racing, ice racing, and flat track races. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, January 25, at American Legion Post 830 at 2:00 pm. The family will receive visitors one hour prior to the service.
WEST, ELAINE C.
WENDELL, JAMES FREDERICK JR. James Frederick Wendell Jr. of Traverse City, 72, died December 27 2013. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, the son of the late James and Bernice Wendell. James graduated from East Grand Rapids High School where he excelled in football, basketball and golf. He received a BA in Business from Dartmouth College. James loved playing golf, watching sports, and spending time with his family, friends and beloved dogs. He dedicated his life to helping others and was always willing to offer advice, a ride, a meal or a home to those in need. His sense of humor, kindness and tenacious spirit touched everyone he met. He survived by Sister - Nancy Holmes, Children Deborah Wendell, Jeffrey Wendell, Angela Money, Brian Mayo, Melissa Green, Kenneth Wendell, Carissa Gross, 11 grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many friends. He was also preceded in death by his wives Sharon Wendell (1982) and Sandra Wendell (2003), and his daughter Kimberly Mayo (2013). A memorial service will be held Saturday Jan. 18 from 3 to 8PM at the Platte River Assoc. Hall, 12990 Honor Hwy. Honor, MI. Memorial contributions may be directed to Cherryland Humane Society, 1750 Ahlberg Rd, Traverse City MI 49686 or AA Traverse City, 124 N Division St, Traverse City MI 49684. Arrangements by Jowett Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, Frankfort & Benzonia.
Elaine C. West, nee LaChance, age 80, of Grand Rapids, entered into eternal life on January 8, 2014. Beloved wife of John West; mother of Jaclyn (the late Alan Frasier) WestFrasier, David West, Brian (the late Diane) West, Craig (fiancee Carla Rudolph) West and Geralyn (Jeff) Kohler; grandmother of Isaac and Jordyn Frasier, Nick (Andrea) West, K.C. West, Robyn (fiance Jack Speaks) Kohler, Rachael, Samuel and Kevin Kohler, Brett (A.J.) Oesch, and greatgrandmother of Ayla Oesch. Elaine was preceded by her granddaughter Kailah, four brothers and one sister. Elaine was a long time very active member of St. Jude Catholic Church. She served as personal assistant to the choir director Dolores Hruby for over 20 years, and was a member of the church guild. She was overjoyed and proud to be a grandmother. Her many travels included multiple trips to the East Coast everywhere from Maine to Florida. She will be missed by family and her many friends. Please join for visitation on Friday, January 17, 2014 from 6-8pm at Reyers North Valley Chapel where the Rosary will be prayed at 7:30pm. Additional visitation on Saturday, January 18, 2014 from 10am until time of Mass 11am at St. Jude Catholic Church (1120 4 Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525). Memorials in memory of Elaine are appreciated to St. Jude Catholic Church Choir.
JORGENSEN, DONALD 8/21/1930 - 1/10/2011 We all miss you but now there is no more pain or suffering. You’re always in our thoughts and prayers.
Lawrence William Wilson Jr, This I declare about the Lord: age 63, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 9, 2014 He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, with his family by his side. He and I trust Him. was preceded in death by his Psalm 91:2 (NLT) parents, Lawrence & Esther Wilson; brother, Cleon Brown. He Ev & Family is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Susan; children, Jennifer Hibma, Stephanie Wilson, Cody Wilson; grandchildren, Brett, Kyle, Isabella Hibma; sister, Saundra and Terry Bullion; brother, Cleo and Lillian Brown; sister in law, Judy Brown; parents in law, Jack & Joan Vaughn; several nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Lawrence’s life will be held on Sunday, January 19, 1 - 4 p.m. at the Greenville Community Center, upper level, 900 E. Kent Road, Greenville, MI. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Faith Hospice at Trillium Woods. FRANCE, MERLE O. Hessel-Cheslek Funeral Home, 11/27/1919 - 1/8/1994 Sparta www.hesselcheslek.com
ANDRIE, SHIRLEY MAE 1932 - 2000
You have been gone for 20 years but you are not forgotten. Thank you for all the great memories. We miss you.
Gone but never forgotten. Always with us in our hearts.
God Bless you, Marie, Kids & Grandkids
IN MEMORIAM
Love Always, Lois, Diana, Kathy, Bonnie, Jose, Dan, Amber, Jake, Luke and Anna MACDONALD, ELAINE January 6, 2010 In loving memory of our dear mother and friend who left us four years ago. Loving you always and forgetting you never, Your daughters, Sandy, Ellen and Susie MYSZAK, EUGENE 7/21/1930 - 1/13/2013 Lovingly remembered and always in our hearts. Love, Wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. NIVALA, MAURIE and KATHLEEN
Your Loving Family
Remembering my loving parents today and always.
BERRY, JAKE
WIERS, DANIEL JAY SR. Daniel Jay Wiers Sr., age 58, of Comstock Park, entered into eternal life on January 10, 2014. Daniel is survived by his beloved wife Dawn Wiers; sons Daniel (Jodi) Wiers, Jr. and Douglas (Ashley) Wiers; grandchildren Cameron, Cale, Chase, Ryan, Colton and Will; mother Clarice Wiers and siblings Ed (Gayle) Wiers, Gary Wiers, Susie (Greg) Matteson, Jim (Jill) Wiers and Jean (Steve) Idema, brother in law Dave Bailey. Uncle of many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his father Cornelius Wiers; siblings Larry Wiers, Sandy Bailey and Stevie Wiers; nephew Gary Wiers and Niece Alicia Wiers. Visitation Tuesday, January 14, 2014 from 2 P.M. to 4 P.M. and 6 P.M. to 8 P.M.; and Wednesday January 15, 2014 from 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. at Reyers North Valley Chapel. Service Wednesday 11 A.M. Interment Grandville Cemetery. Gratitude and appreciation are extended to all of Daniel’s coworkers at Central Michigan Paper over the last 35 years. A heartfelt thank you would like to be extended to all the nurses and help in the Heart Center Spectrum Butterworth Critical Care Center. The people he loved the most dearly, will be the ones that miss him the most.
In loving memory of Jake Berry, our Husband, Dad Grandpa and Great-grandpa who we lost two years ago today. A million times we needed you, a million times we cried, if love alone could have saved you, you never would have died. In life we loved you dearly, in death we love you still, in our hearts you will hold a place that no one could ever fill. With all the love in our hearts, Linda, Cindy & Bob, Christy & Todd, Mindy & Michael, Jac, Mike & Jacob, TJ, Kody & Tom
life is like a book. We choose to focus on all the chapters.
PRENTICE, ROB 08/20/1965 - 01/10/2009 Five years and grief never ends, but it changes. It is a passage, not a place to stay.
Linda, Cheryl, Ron and families.
In loving memory of Arthur Romence, who passed away 33 years ago, January 9, 1981. We love and miss you. Sadly missed by your family.
Your wife, Jean and Family
DAMSTRA, CATHERINE Aug. 7, 1918 - Jan. 12, 2012 I’ll remember you in the colors of a sunset, in the comfort of my dreams, in the memory of a song, in the legacy of love you left for those who follow, and always, more than anything, I’ll remember you in your love that lives on within my heart.
GOULD, JASON M. 5/5/1979 - 1/11/2012 Two years without you and we like to think, that the stars are really openings in heaven, for the love of our lost ones to shine down. We miss you every day! Mom, Dad, and your family
Lee Karelse
Your loving wife, Barb, chil dren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
455-9280
Belmont 616-866-7200 Wyoming 616-243-0176 1601 Post Dr. NE, Belmont, MI 49306
Send for info packet and pricing.
In loving memory of Henry VanGeest who passed away 2 years ago, 1/8/2012. No longer here our lives to share but in our hearts you are always there.
A Simple Solution to the “Traditional Funeral Service.”
Complete Cremation for
995
$
SimplyCremationService.com 616.455.6838 Manager: Larry Ofield 4500 Kalamazoo SE, Grand Rapids, MI
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Traditional Burial Package ............$2950 Simple Direct Cremation .................$995
"Catch ya later" Love, Laurie, Jordan, Cameron and Allisha
VANGEEST, HENRY 6/14/1921 - 1/8/2012
FUNERAL HOME INC.
www.stroofuneralhome.com
It’s been a year without you, your smile, your laugh, your love. We miss you every minute of every day. Our love is with you, our souls wait to join you.
Always remembering we love you so much.
STROO
1095 - 68th Street S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49508
STEGER, DAVE "DS" 9-12-1955 - 1-13-2013
HELMHOLDT, TED Jan 17, 1920 - Jan 16, 2013
Large facility including an on-site luncheon room Video tributes available Picture Boards and Easels available Aftercare Assistance Assisting with Social Security and Veterans Administration forms and paperwork Caring, compassionate and personalized service offered at reasonable prices
Funeral Director
4758665-01
Your family, Mom & Butch Knowlton, Daughter Melissa, and Granddaughter Scarlette
It has been 10 years since you left us. Deep in our hearts are many memories to keep and cherish. We love and miss you.
Stroo Funeral Home
(877) 443-7482
Love and Miss You,
Lovingly remembering our mom, grandma and great-grandma.
ROMENCE, ARTHUR
Our family caring for your family
1833 Plainfield Ave. NE 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW 851 Leonard St. NW
Grief is not a sign of weak ness, nor a lack of faith. It is the price of love.
GORTER, ARDITH J. 8/15/1922 - 1/13/2013
BURKE, ARVILLE 6/12/1926 - 1/7/2004
Marcia and Larry, Barbara and Jack, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren
A person’s
Kathy and Family
4759252-01
VANDERNOOT, DONALD F.
EGOLF, ROBERT S. 5/3/1929 - 1/15/2013 "TOGETHER FOREVER"
WILSON, LAWRENCE Sparta
4759427-01
Herald, Ruth Ann Long, Linda Weston; nephew, Ken Doxater; and long-time friends, Rose Mary and Bill Fauret. Clarice was a retired auto worker for General Motors. She was very proud to be a Union worker for GM. At the request of the family visitations and services to celebrate Clarice’s life and accomplishments are private. Entombment in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Clarice has lived a long a prosperous life! We will always hold her very dear in our hearts. "She has helped all of us to turn out the way we are today." A special recognition to Spectrum Health Hospice as we are eternally grateful for the care you’ve provided for Clarice.
WARD, BETTY LOU "BOO" (FINKBEINER)
Deeply missed by wife Sarah and sons Bob, Jim and Barb Jack and Linda, Doug Greg & Deb grandchildren, great-grandchildren, & great-great-granddaughter
Name Address City
Phone
4765260-01
SYPNIEWKSI, ELEANOR "ELLIE"
B8 / SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS
Nation&World WASHINGTON
CHARLESTON, W.VA.
Residents seek help after chemical spill
Doctors: Food stamp cuts could backfire By Lauran Neergaard and Mary Clare Jalonick The Associated Press
Steve Bosshard, right, hands over a specially prepared box of food for Gordon Hanson, left, at a food bank distribution in Petaluma, Calif., as part of a research project with Feeding America to try to improve the health of diabetics in food-insecure families. (AP)
Many doctors are warning that if Congress cuts food stamps, the federal government could be socked with bigger health care bills. Maybe not immediately, they say, but over time if the poor wind up in doctors’ offices or hospitals as a result. Among the health risks of hunger are spiked rates of diabetes and developmental problems for children down the road. The doctors’ lobbying effort comes as Congress is working on a compromise farm bill that’s certain to include food stamp cuts. Republicans want heftier reductions than do Democrats in yet another partisan battle over the government’s role in helping poor Americans. Food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, feed 1 in 7 Americans and cost almost $80 billion a year, twice what it cost five years ago. Conservatives say the program spiraled out of control as the economy struggled and the costs are not sustainable. They say the neediest people will not go hungry. The health and financial risks of hunger have not played a major role in the debate. But the medical community says cutting food aid could backfire through higher Medicaid and Medicare costs. “If you’re interested in saving health care costs, the dumbest thing you can do is cut nutrition,” said Dr. Deborah Frank of Boston Medical Center, who founded the Children’s HealthWatch pediatric research institute. “People don’t make the hunger-health connection.” A study published last week helps illustrate that link. Food banks report longer lines at the end of the month as families exhaust their grocery budgets, and California researchers found that more poor people with a dangerous diabetes complication are hospitalized then, too. The researchers analyzed eight years
of California hospital records to find cases of hypoglycemia, when blood sugar plummets, and link them to patients’ ZIP codes. Among patients from low-income neighborhoods, hospitalizations were 27 percent higher in the last week of the month compared with the first, when most states send out government checks and food stamps, said lead researcher Dr. Hilary Seligman of the University of California, San Francisco. But hospitalizations didn’t increase among diabetics from higher-income areas, she reported Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs. Seligman could not prove that running low on food was to blame. But she called it the most logical culprit and said the cost of treating hypoglycemia even without a hospitalization could provide months of food stamp benefits. “The cost trade-offs are sort of ridiculous,” Seligman said. She is working on a project with Feeding America, a network of food banks, to try to improve health by providing extra, diabetes-appropriate foods, including fresh produce and whole-grain cereals and pastas, for diabetics at a few food banks in California, Texas and Ohio. Last year, research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts estimated that a cut of $2 billion a year in food stamps could trigger an increase of $15 billion in medical costs for diabetes in the next decade. Other research shows children from food-insecure families are 30 percent more likely to have been hospitalized for a range of illnesses. But after a temporary boost in benefits from the 2009 economic stimulus, children whose families used food stamps were significantly more likely to be well than kids in low-
income families that did not participate, Children’s HealthWatch found. About half of food stamp recipients are children, and 10 percent are elderly. How much would be cut from the foodstamp program ranges from $400 million a year in a Senate-passed farm bill to $4 billion a year in the House version. Congressional negotiators now are seeking about $800 million a year in cuts. That would be on top of cuts in November, when that 2009 temporary benefit expired. According to the Agriculture Department, a family of four receiving food stamps now gets $36 less each month. The average household benefit: $270. Since then, food banks are reporting more demand because people’s food stamps aren’t stretching as far, said Maura Daly of Feeding America. Conservatives pushing the cuts say they want to target benefits to the neediest people, arguing that those who are truly hungry should have no problem getting assistance if they apply. The final bill will most likely crack down on states that give recipients $1 in heating assistance in order to trigger higher food stamp benefits. However, some would still receive food stamps. The bill also likely will add some money for food banks and test new work requirements for recipients in a few states, a priority for many Republicans. “While this program is an important part of our safety net, our overriding goal should be to help our citizens with the education and skills they need to get back on their feet so that they can provide for themselves and their families,” said Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., when the farm bill was on the House floor last summer.
FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR GRAND RAPIDS AREA TODAY
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
-10s
THURSDAY
23° 18°
30° 16°
35° 16°
A snow shower possible
Rather cloudy with snow possible
Colder with periods of sun
A snow shower possible; not as cold
Wind: SSW 10-20 mph
Wind: WSW 10-20 mph
Wind: NW 8-16 mph
Wind: W 8-16 mph
Wind: WSW 12-25 mph
Houghton 35/23
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
RIVER LEVELS
Copper Harbor 33/24
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2014 Ontonagon 36/20 Ironwood 36/15
Iron River 34/18
ALMANAC
Ishpeming 32/23
High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low
42° 35° 31° 18° 55° (1980) -21° (1979)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours through 3 p.m. Sat. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Normal year to date
SNOWFALL
24 hours through 3 p.m. Sat. Month to date Season to date
HUMIDITY
Saturday’s high / low
0.74” 1.94” 0.84” 1.94” 0.84” Trace 16.1” 53.0”
100% / 81%
SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today
8:12 a.m. 5:30 p.m. 2:57 p.m. 5:09 a.m.
MOON PHASES
Grand Rapids Ada Rockford Smyrna
18 20 8 8.5
Newberry 33/27
Escanaba 32/25 Iron Mountain 33/21
4.37 9.58 4.37 4.96
Menominee 33/22
Petoskey 37/31
37°
Traverse City 38/31 Cadillac 36/27
AIR QUALITY INDEX
Ludington 38/30 Big Rapids 36/28 Muskegon 36/33
Mt. Pleasant 36/31
Grand Haven 36/33
Today’s forecast
Full
Last
New
First
Saturday
Jan 15
Jan 24
Jan 30
Feb 6
Source: Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality
Holland 36/34
TODAY IN WEATHER HISTORY™
WEATHER TRIVIA™
A cold snap in the Pacific Northwest spread eastward on Jan. 12, 1888, spawning the “Blizzard of ‘88.” The storm affected an area from northern Texas to the Dakotas and killed 200 people.
Q: At what temperature does mercury freeze?
30s
Flurries
40s
Ice
50s
60s
Cold Front
NATIONAL CITIES TODAY
Alpena 34/29
UV Index and RealFeel Temperature®
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme. The patented AccuWeather. com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors.
20s
70s
80s
90s
W arm Front
100s 110s StationaryFront
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperatures reflect today’s highs and lows.
Rogers City 36/30
Cheboygan 37/30 Gaylord 33/27
CONDITIONS TODAY
17° 18° 21° 26° 25° 22°
10s
Showers Snow
The Republican-led House voted overwhelmingly Friday to add security requirements onto President Obama’s health care law, with 67 Democrats breaking ranks to join with the GOP. It was the first skirmish of what is certain to be a contentious election-year fight. The vote was 291-122 with Republicans relentlessly focusing on “Obamacare,” convinced that Americans’ unease with the troubled law will translate into significant election gains in November. Among the Democrats joining the Republicans was Rep. Steve Israel of New York. He is chairman of a campaign committee dedicated to electing Democrats.
Sault Ste. Marie 32/28
St. Ignace 34/29
Manistique 35/28
water temperature at Holland
0s
WASHINGTON
House passes health care security bill
+0.21 +0.32 +0.17 -0.01
Drummond Island 33/28
Lake Michigan
Rain
General Motors is recalling 370,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups from the 2014 model year to fix software that could cause the exhaust components to overheat and start a fire. The recall includes 303,000 trucks in the U.S. and 67,000 in Canada and Mexico. All of the trucks involved have 4.3-liter or 5.3-liter engines. GM said eight fires have been reported, but no injuries. One garage was damaged, GM said. All of the incidents occurred in cold weather. The company is asking customers not to leave their trucks idling unattended. GM dealers will reprogram the software for free. The company will inform owners starting Thursday.
Flood Stage Level 24-hour Change
Munising 34/26
Grand Rapids through 3 p.m. Saturday
TEMPERATURES
Location
Grand River
Marquette 34/26
L’Anse 36/22
Ariel Sharon, the hardcharging Israeli general and prime minister who was admired and hated for his battlefield exploits and ambitions to reshape the Middle East, died Saturday. His death came eight years after a stroke left him in a coma from which he never awoke. He was 85. As one of Israel’s most famous soldiers, Sharon was known for bold tactics and an Sharon occasional refusal to obey orders. As a politician he became known as “the bulldozer,” a man contemptuous of his critics while also capable of getting things done. He led his country into a divisive war in Lebanon in 1982 and was branded as
DETROIT
General Motors recalls 370K pickups
Levels in feet Saturday at 7 a.m.
River
Rogue River Flat River
-0s
T-storms
Breezy with some sun, then clouds
MICHIGAN FORECAST
JERUSALEM
Former Israeli leader dies at 85
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
TUESDAY
35° 24°
38° 34°
A handful of people have been hospitalized and several hundred thousand remain without water after a chemical leaked from a storage tank in Charleston into the public water treatment system, state authorities said Saturday. About 300,000 people in nine counties entered their third day without being able to drink, bathe in, or wash dishes or clothes with their tap water after a foaming agent escaped the Freedom Industries plant and seeped into the Elk River. The only allowed use of the water was for flushing toilets. Allison Adler of the Department of Health and Human Resources says 32 people sought treatment at area hospitals for symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Of those, four people were admitted to the Charleston Area Medical Center.
indirectly responsible for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps outside Beirut when his troops allowed allied Lebanese militias into the camps. Yet ultimately he transformed himself into a statesman.
Grand Rapids 38/34
Houghton Lake 36/28
East Tawas 35/30
Midland Bay City 37/32 38/32
Bad Axe 34/31 Sandusky 36/30
Flint 38/33
Kalamazoo Ann Arbor 38/33 35/29 Battle Creek 38/33 Jackson Benton Harbor 38/33 38/34 Sturgis Adrian Niles 38/33 38/31 40/33
MON.
HI/LO/W 47/27/s 27/19/sf 55/32/pc 59/38/r 52/44/pc 54/40/pc 62/35/r 35/17/sn 40/23/pc 51/37/pc 78/51/s 45/25/r 68/50/s 56/32/r 59/39/s 35/23/c 50/31/r 45/27/r 49/30/r 63/39/s
WORLD CITIES
Saginaw 38/32 Lansing 38/33
CITY HI/LO/W Albuquerque 56/28/pc Anchorage 20/17/sf Asheville 52/30/pc Atlanta 58/41/s Atlantic City 46/37/pc Baltimore 49/30/s Birmingham 58/44/s Bismarck 38/3/pc Boise 41/27/sf Boston 46/33/pc Brownsville 77/64/c Buffalo 36/31/sf Chrlston, SC 65/40/s Chrlston, WV 48/32/s Charlotte 58/37/s Chicago 42/31/pc Cincinnati 46/38/s Cleveland 38/35/pc Columbus, OH 44/37/s Dallas 72/43/s
Port Huron 35/30 Pontiac 36/32 Detroit 36/32
CITY Amsterdam Athens Baghdad Beijing Berlin Bermuda Bogota Buenos Aires Cairo Dublin Hong Kong Jakarta
TODAY
HI/LO/W 41/37/pc 63/48/pc 60/39/s 38/21/s 40/30/s 72/62/r 69/39/pc 77/68/s 68/51/s 49/38/r 70/55/s 86/76/t
MON.
HI/LO/W 47/38/r 60/50/c 60/42/pc 36/20/s 41/34/pc 67/59/s 70/39/pc 83/72/s 70/56/pc 46/34/sh 64/51/s 85/75/t
CITY Denver Des Moines Helena Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Las Vegas Little Rock Los Angeles Louisville Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans New York Norfolk Okla. City
TODAY
HI/LO/W 48/19/c 47/26/pc 39/29/c 83/65/s 72/58/s 46/36/s 58/29/pc 61/42/s 66/44/s 72/50/pc 52/43/s 60/47/s 79/69/pc 36/29/pc 38/13/c 56/42/s 65/54/s 47/36/pc 52/37/s 70/35/s
TODAY
CITY HI/LO/W Johannesburg 80/58/t Kabul 45/22/c Kinshasa 92/74/r London 48/43/c Madrid 54/45/pc Manila 82/72/pc Mexico City 72/46/pc Montreal 36/27/sf Moscow 31/26/sn Nassau 83/71/pc Paris 49/43/pc Rio de Janeiro 92/78/s
MON.
HI/LO/W 53/29/pc 39/26/pc 45/28/sn 83/66/s 70/42/r 43/27/r 47/32/s 61/44/s 58/35/r 79/52/s 51/34/r 56/37/r 81/70/pc 32/19/c 20/8/c 55/33/r 69/43/r 51/41/pc 62/48/s 58/35/s
MON.
HI/LO/W 83/56/t 42/22/pc 90/73/t 50/41/s 52/37/sh 80/73/r 71/45/pc 37/30/c 28/8/sn 82/71/pc 49/39/sh 91/77/s
TODAY
MON.
CITY HI/LO/W Omaha 49/24/c Orlando 73/52/s Philadelphia 48/33/s Phoenix 70/46/s Pittsburgh 41/32/sf Portland, ME 44/26/pc Portland, OR 48/42/r Raleigh 58/37/s Reno 44/24/s Richmond 56/34/s St. Louis 57/37/s Salt Lake City 38/29/sf San Antonio 74/50/pc San Diego 67/51/pc San Francisco 58/44/s San Juan, PR 85/72/pc Seattle 49/45/r Tampa 74/55/s Tucson 70/40/s Wash., DC 51/37/s
HI/LO/W 43/29/pc 79/59/pc 52/40/pc 69/46/s 49/34/r 43/33/pc 48/34/r 61/45/s 50/25/pc 59/44/s 47/33/r 39/21/pc 68/36/s 74/52/s 63/45/s 84/72/s 52/41/r 75/63/pc 66/40/s 53/42/s
TODAY
MON.
CITY HI/LO/W HI/LO/W Riyadh 55/40/pc 57/38/s Rome 57/43/c 57/43/s Seoul 34/12/pc 28/16/s Singapore 86/77/t 86/75/t Stockholm 23/12/s 23/19/pc Sydney 84/68/pc 81/66/pc Taipei 67/56/sh 60/53/c Tel Aviv 64/54/c 66/55/pc Tokyo 52/36/pc 45/30/pc Toronto 36/28/pc 38/21/c Vancouver 43/43/r 50/43/r Warsaw 41/31/sn 35/27/c
Weather (W): s–sunny, pc–partly cloudy, c–cloudy, sh–showers, t–thunderstorms, r–rain, sf–snow flurries, sn–snow, i–ice
A: -40 F.
For the latest breaking news, go to mlive.com
Michigan
B
SECTION
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014 / THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS LANSING
Snyder betting big on Super Bowl Sunday
G
ov. Rick Snyder isn’t a betting man, but his re-election campaign committee is betting big on another Super Bowl ad, doubling down on the 2010 commercial that made “one tough nerd” a household nickname.
A 2006 photo shows gray wolves on Isle Royale National Park in northern Michigan. (AP)
“We don’t know that our lethal controls brought down those depredations.” BRIAN ROELL, A TOP DNR WOLF EXPERT IN MARQUETTE UPPER PENINSULA
Attacks by wolves wane
T
By John Barnes
jbarnes1@mlive.com
he icon on the GPS shows his dog is on the move. For Michael Crippen, it provides hope his radio-collared bear hound survived the wolf attack that took her hunting mate.
Lake Superior Marquette
Munising
Pete’s Lake Location of wolf attack
N (MLive.com)
since 1996, when the first attack was recorded after wolves’ return, also on a bear hound. FEWER WOLVES KILLED
In 2013, the lower number of attacks came the same year as the state’s first managed wolf hunt. It also came one year after removal of Michigan wolves’ protected status allowed farmers to It is a gray morning here use lethal means — includin the Hiawatha National ing licensed shooters — to Forest, about 12 miles south kill nuisance wolves. of Munising. The skies In 2012, 25 wolves were will shed rain later. Beech killed under various meatree leaves are turning yelsures. Six were killed in the low and bronze. Angular act of attacking livestock, 11 beechnuts have ripened, and were killed under privatethe trees’ serrated leaves land lethal control permits, will cling most of the winand eight were killed by ter, shivering in the wind. state or federal wildlife Temperatures are in the agents. 50s. In 2013, that dwindled to Blood is on the ground. 12. Four wolves were killed Crippen has just topped attacking livestock, six a knoll and sees flashes of under private lethal control movement, frightening four permits, and two by wildlife to five wolves that cornered officials. and killed one of his Bluetick The latter fact has given purebreds while hunting wolf-hunt opponents bear. He saw its last gasp. ammunition for their arguThe Midland-area man’s ment that the 2013 hunt hope that another dog surwas unnecessary to get rid vived ended 250 yards away. of problem wolves. They That’s where he found Ring, say other lethal measures an experienced 6-year-old should have been given tracker worth $4,000 to more time to prove their $5,000. effectiveness. “There was a long bloody “The law had only gone drag mark that led to where into effect for lethal manageRing was found (that’s why ment in January 2012. They his icon was moving on the did not wait to see how that GPS) and many of his interworked before charging into nal organs had been eaten,” a wolf hunt,” said Jill Fritz, reads the Department of Michigan state director for Natural Resources report on The Humane Society of the the Oct. 12 attack. United States and director This incident in the Upper of Keep Michigan Wolves Peninsula’s Schoolcraft Protected. County was one of the last But Brian Roell, a top DNR verified wolf attacks in 2013 wolf expert, said it is too — 20 attacks in all. soon to draw conclusions. But as horrific as the inci“We don’t know that our dent was — two dogs were lethal controls brought killed, two others injured down those depredations,” — last year saw the lowest said Roell, a wildlife biolonumber of wolf depredagist in Marquette. tions in Michigan in years, “My hunch is that we did by at least half. not take enough to control The year before saw 41 behavior through lethal conattacks on one or more anitrol measures.” mals; 2011 registered 44. In Sometimes, after a hard 2010, there were 49 attacks. winter, deer are stressed It was the most of any year and easier prey, meaning
wolves might not turn to livestock as much, Roell noted. This is shaping up to be a hard winter, though it and other factors are impossible to predict, he noted. Some speculate canine attacks are not really down, but that hunters are less likely to report them and handle the problem themselves. Unlike cattle, the government does not compensate for dog losses. None of that is much consolation to Crippen, owner of the four dogs killed or injured on that autumn morning in the Hiawatha National Forest. The area, it should be noted, is not within the state’s three hunting zones for problem wolves. HUNTERS BECOME PREY
It was the middle of Michigan’s third and last bear season of 2013. The plan was for Crippen and his friends to follow the dogs, which were on bear grazing trails. The hope is that a bear would be forced into a clearing, or at least “bay-up” — make a stand until the hunters arrived. If the bear is treed, all the better. Cindy and Bill Thome, owner of the five-cabin Kenbuck Resort where Crippen’s hunting party was staying, joined their longtime customers in the
hunt about eight miles to the north. The dogs were howling in the distance. “Cindy said, ‘Did you hear that?’ And I said, ‘Hear what?’ ” Bill Thome said. “She heard three things that cut in front of her. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Moving fast. “About 15 minutes later we heard the dogs howl, and then we heard a howl that was a wolf. Then — about 15 seconds later — they got one of the dogs, and it was a death howl.” Ring was killed first, an investigation determined. Diamond, a 3-year-old female worth about $2,500, died second. Blaze and Flo, both 3-yearold bear hounds worth about $2,500 each, soon came out of the woods separately, wounded. A fifth dog, Patch, emerged from the woods uninjured. “He was traumatized, just shaking,” said Thome, 60. “I think with those dogs howling, it was like a dinner bell or something.”
Ç ONLINE EXTRAS
Search all wolf attacks in Michigan, 1996-2013, bit.ly/wolfcomp See what it cost to protect one Michigan farm, bit.ly/wolfcost
WOLF NUMBERS RISE, ATTACKS FALL
600
GUN PRIVACY
So how much will the Snyder campaign spend on Super Bowl ads? FCC records show a one-minute game-day spot on Fox will cost the committee $400,000 in Metro Detroit and another $25,000 in the Flint market. MIRS subscription news reports he also will spend $40,000 in Grand Rapids, $18,000 in Lansing and $12,000 in Cadillac/ Traverse City. Combined with a $166,130 cable buy on Fox News, Snyder’s total February advertising tab already is at $661,130. That’s a big figure for a guy who still won’t confirm his re-election plans. Democratic challenger Mark Schauer has filed an application for public funding in the primary, meaning he likely will be limited to spending $2 million total through Aug. 5. But if the race is close, expect plenty of independent spending by outside groups as well.
House Republicans on Thursday unveiled their updated action plan for 2014, highlighting a push to use a projected budget surplus on some form of tax relief for Michigan residents. It didn’t get the headlines, but the plan includes a new nod to the gun lobby. House Speaker Jase Bolger, of Marshall, told reporters the caucus wants to “protect gun owners from intimidation and harassment by exempting their information from” Freedom of Information Act requests, pointing out that is the only gun-related measure in the action plan. House Bill 4155, introduced last year by state Rep. Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, appears to be a response to a controversial move by The New York Journal News, which published the names and addresses of gun owners in two counties following the Sandy Hook school shooting in late 2012.
GOLDEN PARACHUTE?
Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, of East Lansing, is calling for an independent investigation into the Michigan Department of Treasury after reports surfaced last week that former Treasurer Andy Dillon, who resigned Nov. 1, continues to make his full $174,204 salary as an adviser to his successor. “Michigan taxpayers deserve to know that the department that’s entrusted with the state’s finances and collecting tax dollars is itself being run in a fiscally responsible manner,” Whitmer said in a release referencing Dillon’s “golden parachute” and significant pay raises given to Treasury investment officials in 2013. Dillon serves at the pleasure of new Treasurer Kevin Clinton, according to department spokesman Terry Stanton. He has assisted “with transition issues and has been working on local government fiscal issues.” His role — and pay — is expected to last another four to six weeks.
joosting@mlive.com
= wolf population = attacks on livestock* = attacks on dogs
300
200
100
0
’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13
*Mostly cattle, but includes sheep, chickens and other fowl. Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region; Michigan Department of Natural Resources
joosting g @mlive.com .com
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
By Jonathan Oosting 500
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Jonathan than Oosting ing
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
House-approved legislation to bring back medical marijuana “provisioning centers” and allow edible products scored a small victory in the Senate when both bills were referred to the Government Operations Committee chaired by Majority Leader Randy Richardville, of Monroe. Supporters had feared the bills would end up in the Judiciary Committee chaired by Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, a former sheriff who has spoken out against dispensaries in the past. There’s no guarantee Richardville will act on the legislation any time soon, but the ball is firmly in his court. “I don’t know that we have a plan on those bills, so to speak, but he’s been very open to having hearings on anything to do with that topic, obviously,” said Richardville spokeswoman Amber McCann, referencing consideration and approval of a pharmaceutical-grade marijuana bill late last year. “Don’t rule that out.”
Lawmakers considering plans for $971 million budget surplus
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Figure not available
Opponents say it shows hunt was unnecessary, but proponents say it is too early to tell
POLITICAL TICAL POINTS POINN T S
(Jeff Johnston/MLive.com)
LANSING — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and state lawmakers are looking at $971 million in new one-time and ongoing revenue as they begin work on the next fiscal budget, setting the stage for a debate over possible tax cuts, rebates and new investments. Officials from the non-partisan House and Senate fiscal agencies, along with the state Treasury Department, settled on that figure Friday at a Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference in Lansing, where they discussed economic forecasts and compared updated revenue projections for fiscal years 2013 through 2015. The Senate Fiscal Agency projected $1.3 billion in increased revenue over a
May 2013 estimating conference. The House Fiscal panel pegged the number at $1.1 billion, while Treasury officials offered a more conservative $708 million, citing uncertainty over unclaimed Michigan Business Tax credits. The consensus figure of $971 million includes approximately $325 million to build into the long-term budget, while $646 million will be available for onetime appropriations. It is a mixture of general fund and School Aid Fund revenue. Michigan House Republicans last week unveiled an updated action plan that emphasized tax relief for residents. Gov. Rick Snyder also has signaled he is open to the idea but has stressed the need for long-term planning.