Ottawa County is excited to again be organizing the Michigan's Credit Unions M23.1k Run
on October 1. New this year is M23.1k Relay which offers three
person teams the opportunity to compete, each team member running an
assigned distance of between 3 to 6 miles. Each participant in
the run and relay will receive a quarter-zip performance shirt, aid stations along
the course, race photos, finish-line refreshments, a finisher medal,
awards, a post-race party and a sense of accomplishment. The race begins
and ends at Robinson School in Grand Haven, traveling the length of the new
M231 highway, which will be closed to traffic. The course offers views of the
floodplains, the Grand River and rolling countryside. It is limited to the
first 500 registrants and the price to register is now $45 a person. Sign-up now and spread the word.
If you are not a runner, spectators and volunteers are also
needed. Volunteers will receive a fleece hat embroidered with the
M23.1k logo. Many positions are available including water stations,
set-up, packet pick-up and more. Sign-up here.
Hats, visors and shirts are also available for runners,
volunteers and superfans to purchase.
Funds raised support the Spoonville Trail, North Bank Trail and
Grand River Greenway Trail. Together, these non-motorized paths are
called the "Grand Connection" because of the link they provide along
the Grand Rive between Grand Haven, Grand Valley and Grand Rapids.
Want to build good will and connect your department with a
meaningful audience experience? Grab a group of co-workers and create a
“spirit station.” In 2015, runners specifically commented on the spectators
from MDOT and “sweet ladies from the Parks department.” Runners would love to
see you out there supporting them.
Thanks to to following businesses and organizations for their
sponsorship or services which make this event possible:
Michigan's Credit Unions | Chemical
Bank | Spring Lake Fitness & Aquatic Center | Ottawa County | WGHN Radio |
Michigan Department of Transportation | Ottawa County Sheriff's Office |
EcoTrek Fitness | Delta Dental | Priority Health | Merle Boes
| ImageSoft | Presidio | Gordons Water Systems |
Governmental Consultants Services, Inc. | Grand Armory Brewing | The
Pipeline Smokehouse | M & S Storage | Ottawa County Road Commission
GovTech.com published a great article on the impact of the
Disney Way on the Ottawa Innovation & Technology Department. Both the
Customer Service and Technology improvement initiatives are part of the Four C's
Organizational Improvement strategy.
Join us in congratulating Rachell Genesky from the County
Clerk’s Office, who has been recognized as Ottawa County’s Outstanding Customer
Service Award recipient for the second quarter of 2016.
The individual who nominated Rachell wrote:
"I would like to take a moment to share with you the
amazing efforts of one of Ottawa County’s finest. Last Friday a family was
traveling from the United States through Canada on their way to New York, to
visit family for Father’s Day. They called the Ottawa County Clerk’s Office, an
hour before the office closed, in a panic. Shortly after they crossed the
Canadian border, they realized they did not have their 11 year old son’s birth
certificate with them. Getting into Canada without this document was not a
problem; it was getting back home that was the concern. Rachell Genesky fielded
the phone call, and listened to the family describe what could potentially be a
vacation disaster- as they were stuck in Canada without their son’s birth
certificate. Michigan’s state statutes are very strict when it comes to issuing
birth certificates. Statutes define limitations on what identification
processes must be adhered to before issuing any birth certificates. In
addition, only hard copies can be mailed to the applicant of record (or their
parents) at the home address- and policies state these records cannot be mailed
outside of the United States. Rachell calmed the distraught parents and devised
a plan that stepped outside the realm of the norm, all the while adhering to
the regulations state statutes defined. She had the parents apply for a copy of
a birth certificate through our online website, patiently overcoming each and
every technical difficulty the couple encountered. She then obtained contact
information for the Canadian border patrol agency and asked her supervisor to
communicate with the border patrol agents the situation this family was in. An
agreement was made with the border control to issue a government use only email
version of the 11 year old's birth certificate, which they were willing to
utilize as acceptable documentation. By the time the family arrived at the
border, the agent had their documentation in hand, and was able to assist them
in reentering the United States. The praise the family gave to Rachell was
heartfelt and abundant. They were so grateful to her for all of her patience,
effort and professionalism. They couldn’t believe a government employee would
go to such lengths to assist them the way she did. Without the creative out of
the box thinking on Rachell’s part, the family’s travel plans to visit their
grandfather on Father’s Day would have been a complete mess. The family would
have had to drop one of the parents off at a hotel with the child and wait
while the other parent drove back across the border all the way to Ottawa
County; all the while hoping they had a certified copy of the child’s birth
certificate at home (being the County office would have been closed by then);
and then drive back to Canada again. If ever there was an employee that
exemplifies the true meaning of the Ottawa Way- Rachell is it!"
Read more about
Rachell at miOttawa.org
We learned in late June that Timberland
RC&D has closed and is being dissolved. The following describes
the mission and service are of the organization. Ottawa County appointed
one of the Board Members of Timberland.
Mission:
To provide regional leadership and conservation assistance for citizens to
improve, properly develop and sensibly use our natural and human resources.
Timberland is a private, not-for-profit
organization based in Grand Rapids, MI. We are dedicated to helping
people care for and protect their natural resources and to improve local
economies, environment, and living standards. We work together with local
residents to help plan how they can actively solve environmental, economic, and
social problems in their own communities. We cover a 10-county area to include
services in Clinton, Ionia, Ingham, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo,
Oceana, and Ottawa Counties.
Jessica Voglewede received a Certificate of Merit from the National
Environmental Health Association (NEHA), thereby nationally recognizing her for
outstanding contributions to the environmental health profession.
Jessica began her environmental health career at Ottawa
County in 2013, and currently works as an Environmental Health Specialist on
the Food Safety Team. She has demonstrated a strong ability to meld technical
expertise and strong communication skills to set high standards for Ottawa
County food establishments and communicate those standards to operators.
Technical expertise is vital for correctly interpreting the
Food Code during an inspection and the ability to communicate the information
to operators. While most inspectors pass the State of Michigan standardization
review, it is the rare few that receive 100% from Michigan Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development during the field evaluation. Jessica is one
of those few. During her first field evaluation she received 100%, properly
demonstrating 54 of 54 competencies.
Jessica’s ability to communicate as an ally rather than an
adversary has proven to motivate operators to want to meet the standards. This
is highlighted by the turnaround of establishments in her area that had
demonstrated numerous issues and risks to food safety. Jessica was able to
document these issues, communicate corrections needed, and hold the
establishment accountable through various enforcement tools. This was all
accomplished while providing a high level of customer service. Since the
creation of the Ottawa County Customer Service Award in late 2014, Jessica has
received 18 online nominations. The following are just a sampling of some of
the feedback received.
“Jessica
Voglewede came into my restaurant for our routine inspection and I was the
manager on duty at the time. I am personally new to the management team and all
other inspections I have witnessed from afar, but really did not understand the
full process of what they were looking at or checking on. Despite my
inexperience with the walk through, she made sure I understood exactly what we
were looking for, and why it was important to keep up what we were doing. As I
had questions arise, she would stop what she was doing to explain everything,
and even helped to point it out in the health code book so that I could further
educate my staff on the importance of the task and that they were doing a
fantastic job. Her service was above and beyond what I would have expected and
I feel as if any questions or concerns arose during the year, I would be able
to contact her without feeling the pressure as I would have expected prior to
this experience.”
“Jessica
has consistently made a point of not only inspecting our stores, but connecting
with our employees. She makes it very clear that she is on our team, and wants
us to be as successful as possible in all avenues, including serving safe
products, and conducting best practices with regard to handling food.”
About the NEHA Certificate of Merit:
Each State Environmental Health Association
Affiliate may nominate one of its members and/or a team to receive a
Certificate of Merit from the National Environmental Health Association,
thereby nationally recognizing one of their own for outstanding contributions
to the environmental health profession. Each affiliate may only nominate a
single individual for this recognition. In 2016, the Michigan Environmental
Health Association chose Jessica Voglewede as their nominee. Jessica was one of
only 11 individuals nationwide to receive this recognition.
On Wednesday, June 22,
2016, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted in favor
of an interim recommendation that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV),
also known as the "nasal spray" flu vaccine, should not be used
during the 2016-2017 flu season. The ACIP vote follows data showing poor or
relatively lower effectiveness of LAIV from 2013 through 2016.
The change in the ACIP
recommendation is an example of using new available data to ensure public
health actions are most beneficial. ACIP continues to recommend annual flu
vaccination, with either the inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) or recombinant
influenza vaccine (RIV) for everyone 6 months and older.
Influenza is a serious
disease that causes
millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and thousands
or tens of thousands of deaths each year. While the protection offered by flu
vaccines can vary, the flu shot’s overall vaccine effectiveness estimate of 49
percent suggests that millions of people were protected against flu last
season.
Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors' visits, and
missed work and school
due to flu illness, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations.
CDC conducts vaccine
effectiveness studies each season to estimate flu vaccine effectiveness. How
well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent flu illness) can range
widely from season to season and can be affected by a number of factors,
including characteristics of the person being vaccinated, the similarity
between vaccine viruses and circulating viruses, and even which vaccine is
used.
Read more of the CDC's Media Statement.
Why Flu Vaccination
Matters - Personal Flu Stories
However, they are also associated with diseases
deadly to humans.
Bats eat insects, including some that can cause
damage to farms and crops. They pollinate plants and they scatter seed. Studies
of bats have contributed to medical advances, including the development of
navigational aids for the blind. When people think about bats, they often
imagine things that are not true. Bats are not blind - are not rodents - are
not birds - and will not suck your blood.
Take Caution When Bats Are Near
Be safe -
Never handle a bat!
Because bats are mammals, they can develop rabies, but most do not
have the rabies disease. You can't tell if a bat has rabies just by looking at
it. Rabies can be confirmed only by having the animal tested in a
laboratory.
Diseases Spread by Bats
Several highly fatal diseases have been linked to bats. Rabies is
the most well-known disease associated with bats. Along with animals such as
dogs, foxes, raccoons, and skunks, bats are one of the primary animals that
transmit rabies. Rabies attacks the brain and spinal cord. An exposure to
rabies most commonly occurs when a person is bitten by a rabid animal. It can
also be transmitted when the saliva from a rabid animal comes in contact with a
person's mucous membranes (such as in the mouth, eyes, or nose), or a fresh
wound. When a person is exposed to rabies, timely administration of a vaccine
known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can prevent infection. Once a person
becomes infected and symptoms begin to occur, rabies is almost always fatal.
Safely Capture Bats
If a bat is present in your home, contact an animal-control
professional for assistance. It may be important to capture the bat for rabies
testing, especially if a potential bite or exposure has occurred. Sometimes,
professional help may be unavailable. In such cases, use precautions to capture
the bat safely.
To begin, you will need:
- leather
work gloves (put them on)
- small
box or coffee can
- piece
of cardboard
- tape
The steps you should take to capture the bat are:
- When
the bat lands, approach it slowly, while wearing the gloves, and place the
box or coffee can over it.
- Slide
the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
- Tape
the cardboard to the container securely, and punch small holes in the
cardboard, allowing the bat to breathe.
If no potential exposure has occurred, the bat can be safely
released outside. If a bite or exposure to saliva has occurred (into a person's
mucous membranes such as in the mouth, eyes or nose, or a fresh wound), contact
the health department or animal-control authority to make arrangements for
rabies testing.
Treatment after a Potential Exposure
If you are
bitten or saliva from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or wounds; wash
the affected area thoroughly and get medical attention immediately. Bats have
small teeth that may leave marks not easily seen (see picture below). Although many
people know if they have been bitten by a bat, there are certain circumstances
when a person might not be aware or able to tell if a bite has occurred.
For example:
- If
a person awakes to find a bat in the room.
-
If
you find a bat in a room with an unattended child.
If the above occurs, get immediate medical attention. In all
circumstances, contact your local health department for assistance with medical
advice and testing bats for rabies. When it cannot be ruled out that the bat is
free from rabies and an exposure has occurred, PEP may need to be considered.
Take Steps to Keep Bats Out of Your Home
Some bats live in buildings and may continue to do so with little
risk to inhabitants if they are unable to access living areas and the potential
for contact with people is low. However, bats should always be prevented from
entering rooms of your home. Bat proofing your home can prevent them from using
it as a roosting site. For best results, contact an animal control or wildlife
conservation agency and ask for assistance.
If you choose to do the bat-proofing yourself, here are some
suggestions:
- Carefully
examine your home for holes that might allow bats entry into your living
quarters.
- Any
openings larger than a quarter-inch by a half-inch should be caulked.
- Use
window screens, chimney caps, and draft-guards beneath doors to attics.
- Fill
electrical and plumbing holes with stainless steel wool or caulking.
- Ensure
all doors to the outside close tightly.
Most bats leave in the fall or winter to hibernate, so these are
the best times to bat-proof your home. During summer, many young bats are unable
to fly. If you exclude adult bats during this time, the young may be trapped
inside and die or make their way into living quarters. If possible, avoid
exclusion from May through August.
Common Entry Points
- down
chimney
- opening
around chimney
- through
vents
- through
open unscreened windows
- under
or through open doors
- under
siding
- under
eaves
- under
loose shingles
For questions about rabies testing for bats or other information,
please
call 616-393-5645 or email environmentalhealth@miottawa.org.
The Ottawa Conservation
District provides information, programs and services to assist private
landowners with managing land and water resources.
Bass River Deer Creek Restoration
Project (BRDC)
Since Spring,
BRDC facilitated the installation of 3 new residential septic systems, with more
underway, providing cost-share opportunities for eligible landowners in these watersheds.
Michigan Agriculture Environmental
Assurance Program (MAEAP)
In
partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA), and the
Ottawa County Farm Bureau, MAEAP hosted a field day event on July 26, 2016. The
program included information about precision agriculture and drone
demonstrations.
Critical Dune Information and
Education
Since early
summer, critical dune information and education has been provided for over 250
residents. This information focuses on the importance of plants and trees in
stabilizing sand dunes, and the District’s rich history with dune erosion
prevention.
West Michigan Cooperative Invasive
Species Management Area (WMCISMA)
Invasive
species treatment crews are busy at work throughout the county. In July,
qualified crews provided invasive species treatment services for 120 Ottawa
County landowners with up to 100% of the cost covered by grant funds.
Landowner Information and Assistance
District
staff are responding to landowner emails, phone calls and in-person visits
daily, providing information and resources on a wide variety of agricultural
and conservation topics.
Ottawa Conservation District
16731 Ferris
Street
Grand Haven,
Michigan 49417
(616)
842-5852
ottawacd@macd.org
www.ottawacd.org
Ottawa Conservation District is
co-located with the Natural Resources Conservation District (USDA).
The USDA is an equal opportunity
employer, provider and lender.
The call volume and incident numbers handled through
Ottawa County Central Dispatch for July 2016 were:
Total Incidents –10,898
down 7% over July 2015 and down 1.5% YTD over 2015
Fire Incidents – 1,337
even with July 2015 and up 1.1% YTD over 2015
Law Incidents – 9,561
down 7.9% over July 2015 and down 1.1% YTD over 2015
911 Calls – 10,743 up 1.1% over July 2015 and down 1.6% YTD over 2015
911 Hang Up calls - 1,113 up 1.7% over July 2015 and down 4.1% YTD over 2015
911 calls answered in 10 seconds or less - 90.2% for
July 2016 and 90.4% YTD for 2016
(NENA recommended standard is 90% within 10 seconds)
Smart
911 Measures:
Profile Pops - 70 down 17.6% over July 2015 and down 22.3% YTD over 2015
Hang up calls resolved texting - 208 up
104% over July 2015 and up 32.9% YTD over 2015
Cost avoidance via texting - $4,784 up 103% over July 2015 and up 34.2% YTD over
2015
Chat success rate - 20%
for July 2016 up 10% over July 2015 and even YTD with 2016
Click here for the most recent update, for older updates click here.
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