I have seen some truly painful things while working at Munson’s COVID ward during the Coronavirus pandemic. One of my nurses spent 45 minutes trying to set up a FaceTime chat, a Zoom call, anything that he and the patient’s family could think of so that they could see him and talk to him. They never did get it figured out that day. I hope they managed to before he died the following afternoon.
Rebekah and Gerald TenBrink are the kind of neighbors that anyone in Leelanau County would be proud to know. This young couple not only talk about community, they also live it on a daily basis—and make it seem fun into the bargain. To spend time with them is to feel uplifted and hopeful, particularly in these troubling times of social unrest and the coronavirus pandemic.
Northwoods Hardware in Glen Arbor has a supplier who has modified their production line to produce face shields that meet Johns Hopkins Medical School and Munson specifications. Face shields are an essential part of the PPE required in hospitals, however there is a nation-wide shortage, and there is a critical need for them at Munson Healthcare.
Mandy DePuy and her two Glen Lake daughters will benefit from this year’s Guns-N-Hoses event on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Centre Ice in Traverse City. The annual Guns-N-Hoses game originated with Traverse City’s Sara Posey, a former Munson EMT, and her firefighter husband, Tony.
Singer-songwriter-instrumentalist John Kumjian’s new CD, “Vulnerable,” is particularly poignant in light of his recent health scare. The popular “Mr. K,” as he’s known to hundreds of kids he taught at Glen Lake School, nearly died on the operating table two years ago.
Patients of Glen Arbor physician Matthew Houghton received the sad news last week that “Doc” Houghton is closing his practice, effective March 10 — “due to sudden personal health changes on March 1,” Houghton wrote in a recent letter to patients. He added that longtime assistants Vicki and Marion will be at the office to help with your record release for the next six months, on a limited basis.
Cedar’s fire department, like others in Leelanau County, is experiencing noticeable growing pains, with increased demand from the four townships it serves: Solon, Centerville, Cleveland and Kasson. The latest available data is from 2012, where Fire Chief Dan Petroskey wrote that the CFD had “the most calls ever in the history of the department, with a total of 686 responses.” These included 444 ambulance responses, 242 fire runs, and 17 mutual aid responses to other emergency servers, for a total increase over 2011’s 544 calls.
When I spoke on the phone recently with Derek Bailey, current chair of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and now Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress, he was crossing the Mackinac Bridge and returning home to Traverse City. The tires on his 2005 Saturn VUE hummed loudly as he passed over the rumble strips on the majestic arch that connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to view and purchase artwork from over 100 Michigan artists under one roof. Enjoy music, refreshments, original films and support the Women’s Cancer Fund. From Women’s Hands is a one-of-a-kind, all-female art exhibition and sale. It is also a fundraiser for the Women’s Cancer Center. After a two-year hiatus, this year’s show looks to be the best one yet.