Classmate News

 CLASSMATE NEWS

 

We wished to present information relevant to our classmates - whether it is a new business venture, milestone, or just good to know.

Please send us informative information about yourself, or other classmates you believe have a some great news to share.

 

 

Mary (Grindatti) Harley announces the publication of Dragonfly Blessings.


If you or anyone you know enjoys reading works by Susan Wiggs, Nora Roberts, Kristin Hannah and others in the genre, then my novel Dragonfly Blessings might interest you.


Motherless since age five, Rebecca Rogers is no stranger to loss. But when her husband is killed in combat, she is devastated. Rebecca struggles to move forward despite her grief until the morning she receives an intriguing letter from a North Carolina attorney informing her that she is the sole heir of an estate. Rebecca’s whole life is about to change.


Convinced by her cousins to investigate, she travels to the Outer Banks of North Carolina where she discovers that terminally ill Michele Dupre' is her biological mother…Rebecca was adopted at birth. As she adjusts to this new reality, her past collides with the present when handsome marine Kyle Saunders captures her heart. Only time will tell, however, if their love can survive her careless mistake, his troubling secret and the past that haunts them.


Dragonfly Blessings shares one woman’s compelling journey to the truth as she comes full circle and realizes her destiny and the true definition of family.


It is available now at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. I also have a limited number of signed copies available in both hard and soft cover. Please e-mail me if you are interested.

 

Paul and Mary Honeysett

share sad news about their daughter Peggy

October 2, 2013

Just wanted to pass on that Mary and I lost our daughter, Peggy Honeysett Male to Breast cancer on June 8 after an 11 year fight. She was a 1990 graduate of Hackett. She left a husband and two young children. We are all very saddened and trying to cope with the loss of her day to day. 

 

 

TV Spots Elaine Ward recently participated in to promote her book

"I Will Never Forget"

June 2013

I'm just sharing these video clips from Dayton OH from Tuesday.  Watch if you'd like too.  Thanks
 
 

 

May 2012 - Upcoming Book from our own Elaine Ward

 

I Will Never Forget        by Elaine C. Pereira

I Will Never Forget is the heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking, true story of the author's talented mother Betty's (Ward) tragic, but sometimes humorous, journey through dementia. This brilliantly crafted book details superb stories of Elaine's childhood – from the ridiculous controversy about her name, through tales of a helpless bunny, smoking dragons, the feisty teenage years and her near paralyzing accident. Through it all, her mom's unconditional love and creative parenting style helped mold a mouthy, opinionated girl into an articulate and resourceful woman who could and did move mountains later on in her mother's behalf.

In writing I Will Never Forget, I wanted to share my experiences as a caregiver who often blindly navigated dementia’s unpredictable haze. Anyone affected by dementia can learn from my unwitting mistakes, recognize the insidious nature of memory decline, and take comfort in knowing he or she is not alone. Although clearly mystified by my mother’s goofy behaviors and irrational thinking, I did not appreciate the devastation of her disease. Mom’s subtle ability to mask the truth clouded my vision and prolonged my ignorance until an explosion of drama about an innocuous drapery rod, brought me clarity. As Mom’s dementia advanced, destroying her persona, I stood by her just as she had done for me so some many times before.

The author, Elaine C Pereira, is donating a potion of the proceeds to help fund Alzheimer’s research and support programs. I Will Never Forget is available from iUniverse.com.  In the near future it will also post on Amazon.com;  BarnesandNoble.com; and more. 

 
The passage below is from the editorial evaluator and two awards
 
Awards and Endorsements
 
Editorial Evaluation:   "The opening chapter is inspiring, humorous and introduces the reader to remarkable women: the author and her mother.
With exquisite detail, the author has documented (their story). The most amazing part is the author's use of explicit dialogue.  She has  given readers
incredible insight into  the  insidious disease of dementia-a  disease that  robs us  of our parents. The author uses a million memories of small Coke bottles and other nostalgia that will appeal to Baby Boomers. She is likeable, smart, funny, and readers will be empathetic. This author puts it all together very well. Her dialogue is remarkably well done."

 

 

April 2012 - Input from Jeff Brown - Executive Director

 

Poverty Reduction Initiative Executive Director Jeff Brown talks about poverty and the loss of income support benefits in Michigan Fall 2011

http://video-embed.mlive.com/services/player/bcpid651482439001?bctid=1190863901001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPmbRJXk~,z77SjzCGAfJUKDvuvJ8Pgc0wvvtG64Ew

 

 

Welcome Marilee & Bill

Marilee Haiduk Bryant and William (Bill) Denny recently signed on to our web site. Great to hear from them both and glad they joined in on the conversation. Say hello to them.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congrats to Charlie Kelly's Company!

A milestone for my company Trade Technologies: We are a recepient of the 2011 President's "E" Award for Exports. Press release link attached at 

 

http://www.tradetechnologies.com/PressRelease/2011/pr051711.aspx

 

Solar farm near Climax losing money because of property taxes - Rick Schmitt & Sam Field's Enterprise

 

Published: Monday, May 16, 2011, 9:30 AM     Updated: Monday, May 16, 2011,

By Phyllis Rose | Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette

 

CHARLESTON TOWNSHIP — Producing 225,592 kilowatt hours of electricity in its first year of operation, a solar farm in eastern Kalamazoo Coun­ty that went online in early 2010 has exceeded expectations.

Also exceeding expecta­tions is the property tax, said Sam Field, a Kalamazoo attor­ney and one of the owners of Kalamazoo Solar.

The $27,689 tax bill for the Charleston Township prop­erty means that the owners are losing money, even when being paid a premium price of 45 cents a kilowatt hour by Consumers Energy, he said.

“That Michigan property tax burden works out to a cost of 12.3 cents per kilowatt hour,” Field said. “That amount is more than the retail value of the electricity.”

For comparison, Field re­searched the property tax for the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township along Lake Michigan. He found that the annual real and personal property taxes for Palisades are just over $12 million or .2 cents per kilowatt hour.

“The property tax burden on our solar project is 60 times as much as the property tax burden on the nuclear power plant when calculated on a per kilowatt hour basis,” he said.

Kalamazoo Solar has filed an appeal with the Michigan Tax Tribunal over the property tax issue, but in the meantime, it has to continue paying the property tax, Field said. The appeals were filed a year ago but it could be another two years before the hearing takes place.

 

 

 

The property tax issue has been the one surprise in the whole solar farm venture, according to Field, “It never crossed my mind that the property taxes would become a significant obstacle to our success. I thought it was all kinds of other things. We didn’t know whether our design was going to work or whether the location was a good location or so many things,” Field said.

Field said he considers Michigan’s system to be “schizophrenic” in the sense that it places a tax burden on renewable energy while at the same time the state has a renewable portfolio standard law to encourage renewable energy. He contends that all sources of producing energy should have the same per kilowatt hour tax rate.

“On a level playing field, I’m convinced more than ever that solar is going to prevail and carry the day,” he said.

State Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, has visited the Charleston Township solar farm and is working to fix the problem of the property taxes, Field said.

“She has introduced (bills) to abate property taxes on small renewable energy projects of two megawatts and less. We greatly appreciate and applaud her efforts,” he said.

With reasonable or no property taxes, Kalamazoo Solar could make a small profit, Field said.

“What we’ve learned is that if we solve some of these economic issues, that solar energy is just amazingly feasible in Michigan,” he said.

The company has a 12-year contract with Consumers Energy and plans to fulfill that contract, despite the property tax issue, he said.

Taxes aside, the first year of operation for the solar farm has been virtually trouble free, Field said.

“Everything has worked amazingly well,” he said. “We have been overwhelmingly amazed by how simple it’s been, how well everything

has worked. You have minor maintenance issues from time to time, but nothing of any consequence.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Diane Kuchenbach Dalm

 

I'd like to announce that I've been named Director of the Kalamazoo area Affordable Nursing Inc. home healthcare agency. The office is located near the S. Park/Crosstown Pwy intersection. Affordable Nursing offers in-home assistance from companion care through skilled nursing services. Patti Lyke Townsend has also joined me as our Marketing Consultant. For those that aren't aware Patti and a partner owned Abbi Nursing in Kalamazoo. Her knowledge in this business is invaluable! If anyone has any question regarding our services please don't hesitate calling. Our number 269-382-7747. www.affordablenursing.info

 

 

First One - 

Sam Field and Rick Schmitt - Solar Energy Farm -

Could be instrumental to our future as it relates to breaking our dependance on foreign countries for our sources of energy.

See the story at:

http://swmichigan.secondwavemedia.com/features/solararray0429.aspx