Registration opens for DNR’s summer Becoming an Outdoors-Woman

Registration opens for DNR’s summer Becoming an Outdoors-Woman

by | May 10, 2022 | Uncategorized

 
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DNR News
May 10, 2022

Contact: Michelle Zellar, 906-293-5131 ext. 4004 or John Pepin, 906-226-1352

Registration opens for DNR’s summer Becoming an Outdoors-Woman programs in the UP and northern Michigan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced today registration is open for two “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” summer weekend programs, set for June 3-5 in Marquette County and Aug. 26-28, in Roscommon County.

“We’re excited to bring BOW back to the Lower Peninsula in August at the DNR’s Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake,” said Michelle Zellar, BOW coordinator. “This unique location enables us to offer all the recreational safety certificate classes, including off-road vehicle safety, which we haven’t been able to offer in some years.”

The summer BOW program is sponsored by the DNR and offers instruction in more than 20 types of activities, including kayaking, wilderness first aid and survival, lake fishing, mountain biking, canning and preserving wild game, shooting sports, boating, basic and advanced land navigation and introduction to bird hunting with dogs.

“Becoming an Outdoors Woman is a program where each individual is encouraged to learn at her own pace,” Zellar said. “The emphasis is on the enjoyment, fun and camaraderie of outdoor activities and sharing in the success of one another.”

Volunteer BOW instructors provide basic and advanced teaching that is tailored to each participant’s individual ability, helping participants learn the basics in a short amount of time.

This summer will mark the 25th anniversary of BOW in the Upper Peninsula. The program has provided quality gatherings for women, 18 and older, who are seeking an opportunity to improve their outdoor skills in a relaxed, noncompetitive atmosphere.

“The summer program typically fills quickly, so early registration is encouraged.  Zellar said.

The $225 registration fee includes all food and lodging, as well as most equipment and supplies. The deadline for registration is May 23rd. A limited number of partial BOW scholarships are available to help low-income participants with the cost of registration. The scholarship application deadline is May 16th.

Class information and registration materials are available online at Michigan.gov/BOW. Registrations must be mailed, with payment, to the DNR Newberry Customer Service Center stated on the form.

For more information on the summer BOW program, contact Michelle Zellar at the DNR Customer Service Center in Newberry at 906-293-5131 ext. 4004, or by e-mail at DNRBOW@michigan.gov.
DNR COVID-19 RESPONSE: For details on affected DNR facilities and services, visit this webpage. Follow state actions and guidelines at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus.
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Celebrating 75 years of launching boating adventures

Celebrating 75 years of launching boating adventures

by | May 10, 2022 | Recreation

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speedboat in the background with mother and daughter paddle boarding

DNR News
May 9, 2022
Contact: Maia Turek, 989-225-8573

Celebrating 75 years of launching boating adventures

Michigan State Waterways Commission logo with Celebrate 75 years of Michigan boating taglineBoating has been a human pursuit for at least 8,000 years, with waters tempting us toward adventure, providing food and helping to build cities and economies. Those motivations for taking to the water have persisted and are still true today.

In 2022, Michigan is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the waterways program, a modern concept meaning the access and infrastructure needed for boating: launches, marinas, gas docks, locks and dams, and the maintenance to keep these destinations accessible and operational.

The Michigan State Waterways Commission, a seven-member advisory commission appointed by the governor, was created in 1947 to advise on how Michigan would place, fund and manage harbors to provide safe, navigable boating on Michigan’s Great Lakes. The program has evolved significantly since its early charge and today is looking toward the future of boating to ensure our state continues to be a world-class freshwater boating destination.

“Michigan is blessed with a fantastic diversity of water-based recreation, and our waterways program is integral to making the most of those opportunities and boosting quality of life for communities all over the state,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Nearly 90 percent of Michigan’s registered boats are under 25 feet long, and many of those boaters rely on safe, accessible points of entry to get on the water.”

Olson credited Michigan’s waterways program for the acquisition and development of nearly 1,300 public boating access sites. Through the harbor of refuge program, too, local and state harbors are available nearly every 30 miles surrounding the Great Lakes shoreline.

“The Michigan State Waterways Commission advises the DNR, the Parks and Recreation Division and the waterways program to ensure that boaters are part of the conversation and their voices are heard,” Olson said. “Thanks to the many volunteer commissioners who have served our enviable waterways program for the past 75 years and built a strong legacy for the future of Michigan boating.”

Origin, evolution of waterways management

Established by the Michigan Legislature in 1947, the commission was created to take advantage of federal monies made available from the 1945 Rivers and Harbors Act, which provided funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects on navigable waters of the nation. Congress then approved the plan for Michigan to create a safe harbor of refuge network on the state’s Great Lakes shoreline. This also funded:

  • Protective breakwater structures still in use.
  • Harbor basin and channel dredging to establish many of the harbors we know today.
  • Routine maintenance dredging responsibilities for which the state, in turn, would provide mooring and boat ramp facilities.

This plan formed the basis of the state’s harbor program.

By 1949, the state had launched additional efforts to expand the harbor of refuge network by collaborating with local units of government (counties, townships and cities) on the construction, maintenance and operation of these facilities. This started what is known today as the Grant-in-Aid Program, establishing federal, state and local partnerships in the development of Great Lakes harbor facilities. Today, there are 82 state-sponsored harbors.

In 1968, the functions of the commission were transferred to the Department of Natural Resources and added the responsibility of selecting and creating boating access sites (commonly referred to as boat launches) on Michigan’s abundant inland lakes, too.

With this expansion of the program, funding to meet the needs of Michigan’s boaters became a priority, which is how Michigan became the first state in the nation to establish a state marine fuel tax. This carved out a portion of the state tax on the sale of gasoline for a fund that helps to provide boaters better, broader access to Michigan’s waters. Michigan was the first state in the nation to establish such a fund, creating a model for recreational boating now used by many other states.

Today, Michigan is home to more than 800,000 registered recreational boaters , with the industry contributing $7.8 billion a year to Michigan’s economy. At 3,288 miles, Michigan’s Great Lakes shoreline is longer than that of the Atlantic coast and our state is home to some 11,000 inland lakes.

Celebrate waterways your way

Everyone is invited to help mark this Michigan maritime moment. Visit Michigan.gov/DNR/CelebrateBoating to learn ways you can celebrate, including:

  • Signing up for “Water Wednesday” texts.
  • Seeing aerial drone footage of some of Michigan’s harbors and marinas.
  • Sharing your photos.
  • Learning about the upcoming Waterways Adventure Lab and Paint the Waterways programs.
  • Learning about new sustainable boating efforts.
  • Downloading free coloring pages.
  • Finding 75th anniversary merchandise.

Help shape the future of waterways

Boaters and others interested in having their voices heard are encouraged to learn more about the Waterways Commission, including reviewing past meeting minutes and upcoming meeting schedules. These public meetings are an excellent forum to share ideas and ask questions related to boating access, infrastructure and sustainability.

More on Michigan boating, celebration details and information on the commission can be found at Michigan.gov/Boating.

Note to editors: High-res boating photos and logos are available in the anniversary toolkit, found at the bottom of the Michigan.gov/DNR/CelebrateBoating webpage.
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MHSAA Approves New Rule Changes

MHSAA Approves New Rule Changes

by | May 9, 2022 | Feature Writers, High School Sports

Friday, May 6, 2022

MHSAA Approves New Rule Changes.

Written Friday May 6th at 8:00 PM
By Sammy Taormina

The MHSAA made more changes during their spring meetings in Gaylord on Friday afternoon.

The most noticeable changes will be in football with the intro of instant replay. The coaches will have one challenge very similar to the NFL. They can challenge incomplete passes, laterals, and targeting calls along with other things. If they lose the challenge they will lose a timeout. Also players can wear shoulder pads when they are at camps.

Basketball will switch seasons with the boys going first for two years in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years because of Michigan State possibly hosting Women’s NCAA Tournament games.

Baseball and softball will have two separate sight selection committees to determine where the district and regional rounds will be played.

In hockey, they will use the MPR system to seed the entire regional.

In golf, the number of strokes goes down from 12 to 10 and they will be allowed two coaches to be present during postseason competition.

In soccer, the two top seeds can host games if they are not played at the prearranged host site.

In Middle School track and field, they could conduct regionals starting next year.

The fifth quarter rule was addressed as well. The MHSAA Representative Council approved a Soccer committee recommendation allowed athletes to play no more than three halves on a day not followed by a school day. They also approved that violators of the fifth quarter rule must forfeit the game and that the head coach would have to sit out a game. Also the fifth quarter rule would be applied to Middle School Basketball as well.

It will be very interesting to see what happens but several of these changes are huge. We shall see what happens.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story.

Here is the press release from the MHSAA Representative Council.

https://secondhalf.mhsaa.com/topics/mhsaa-news/rep-council-approves-new-hockey-classification-procedure-wrestling-weights-spring

Veterans Benefits Counselors at Oakland County Michigan Works

Veterans Benefits Counselors at Oakland County Michigan Works

by | May 9, 2022 | Regional News

Veterans Can Access Veterans Benefits Counselors at Oakland County Michigan Works! Offices

  • An Oakland County Veterans’ Services representative will be available onsite at the Oakland County Michigan Works! centers in Novi, Southfield, and Oak Park one day a week.
  • Veterans and eligible family members can access both veterans benefits and career assistance.

Pontiac, Michigan – Oakland County Veterans’ Services and Oakland County Michigan Works! are providing veterans with convenient access to a broad range of services. Oakland County Michigan Works! (OCMW) centers in Novi, Southfield (Tuesday), and Oak Park (Thursday) will host veterans benefits counselors one day a week.

Veterans who visit the OCMW offices in Pontiac, Troy, and Waterford will receive a referral to a liaison in the Veterans’ Services offices in Pontiac or Troy.

“Our goal is to bring veterans services into the community, closer to where they live,” said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. “By placing our veterans benefits counselors in Oakland County Michigan Works! offices, residents who served their country will not only be able to get help accessing their benefits, but assistance for their careers as well.”

OCMW Novi will host veterans’ benefit counselors on Tuesdays, OCMW Southfield also on Tuesdays, and OCMW Oak Park on Thursdays.

Veterans’ benefits counselors help clients navigate the process of completing and submitting applications for federal, state, and county veterans benefits. Benefits available to eligible veterans include:

  • Military service-connected disability compensation
  • Non-service connected disability pension
  • Veteran Administration healthcare
  • Transportation services
  • Employment and education resources
  • Financial support, including home loans, life insurance and other relief and compensation
  • Burial benefits

“Our team is available to assist Oakland County veterans of all ages,” Veterans’ Services Division Manager Garth Wootten said.  “We welcome these men and women to call or visit one of our offices or the Oakland County Michigan Works! centers, where we partner with veterans through the claims process and advocate on their behalf to ensure they receive the benefits they’ve earned.”

Jennifer Llewellyn, director of Oakland County Michigan Works!, said veterans who visit the service centers also have access to a number of employment services, including:

  • Matching a veteran’s military experience and accomplishments with civilian occupations
  • Helping them secure military-related credentials, certifications and licenses
  • Preparing a veteran for conducting a successful job search
  • Connecting veterans with disabled/injured veteran resources
  • Finding resources available to veterans and their families to aid in the transition to civilian life

“For veterans, civilian life often includes building a post-military career, no matter one’s age, education or background,” Llewellyn said. “Our staff at the six Oakland County Michigan Works! service centers are available to provide them, their spouses, and family caregivers with comprehensive career planning, training programs, job search resources and more on a priority basis.”

Oakland County Michigan Works! operates service centers in Novi, Oak Park, Pontiac, Southfield, Troy and Waterford. Combined, they assist more than 105,000 job seekers annually. Services include career coaching, interviewing and job search workshops, placement assistance, training courses and job trend information.

The service centers also assist more than 3,000 employers seeking assistance with talent recruitment, apprenticeship programs, job fairs, candidate pre-screening, hiring and training support, layoff support and labor market data.

Service center staff remain available by appointment to work one-on-one with job seekers to build their resumes, prepare for job interviews and help address other needs. To schedule a meeting, call 248-858-5520 and select the office nearest to you. The service centers are hosting several virtual workshops for job seekers. A schedule can be found at www.OaklandCountyMIWorks.com.

Whitmer Proclaims Economic Development Week

Whitmer Proclaims Economic Development Week

by | May 9, 2022 | Regional News

Governor Whitmer Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2022
Contact: Press@michigan.gov

 

Governor Whitmer Proclaims Economic Development Week in Michigan 

 

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Whitmer proclaimed May 9-13 as Economic Development Week celebrating the efforts of all Michiganders in attracting and retaining high-quality jobs, developing vibrant communities, and improving the quality of life.

 

“Happy Economic Development Week! Right now, Michigan’s economy is on the move. In partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, we have added 174,000 jobs year over year, including 21,600 auto jobs since I took office, which has helped bring our unemployment rate down to a low of 4.4%, and we continue to deliver on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to working families,” said Governor Whitmer. “Economic development is an area where Republicans and Democrats in Michigan have worked side by side to get things done. Our future is bright, and I will continue to work with anyone to get things done. Let’s keep Michigan moving.”

 

Governor Whitmer’s initiatives embody the spirit of Economic Development Week as she has taken bold actions to strengthen Michigan’s economy including the signing of the bipartisan Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) package, which supports business by fully funding a competitive economic development toolkit to help make Michigan a national leader in business attraction. Earlier this year, General Motors announced a historic $7 billion investment in the state of Michigan, followed up by another transformational announcement by LG Energy Solution which plans to invest $1.7 billion in West Michigan. The governor also launched over $400 million to support small businesses through Growing MI Business grants. Through COVID, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) implemented 23 economic relief programs for businesses under the governor’s leadership, supporting more than 25,000 companies and retaining more than 200,000 jobs, and provided $100 million through the Small Business Restart Program to help restaurants and other place-based businesses cover costs by providing grants up to $20,000 for mortgage, rent, taxes, payroll and other operating expenses.

 

Governor Whitmer’s decisive leadership has led the best economic recovery in the nation. Last year, Michigan added 220,000 jobs and Governor Whitmer took Michigan from a $3 billion deficit to a $7 billion budget surplus. She leveraged these additional funds for historic once in a generation investment into Michigan’s economy, infrastructure, and cutting costs for Michigan consumers and families.

 

  • GM announced a $2.2 billion investment to build Factory Zero, creating 2,000 jobs and a $7 billion investment in Lansing and Orion Township creating 4,000 jobs
  • Stellantis announced the first new plant in Detroit in 30 years, creating 6,000 jobs.
  • Ford announced production of the first-ever full electric F-150, creating 450 jobs.
  • KLA Semiconductor announced a $150 million investment in Ann Arbor, creating 600 jobs in the semiconductor chip industry.
  • Semiconductor wafer manufacturer SK Siltron established a new facility in Monitor Township to support electric vehicle growth, creating up to 150 jobs, investing $302 million.
  • The Building Michigan Together Plan includes a $50 million investment in potash.
  • Outlined an economic vision with a $2.1 billion plan, MI New Economy, to grow Michigan’s middle class, support small businesses, and invest in communities.
  • Established and fully funded programs to provide hundreds of thousands of Michiganders tuition-free higher education or skills training that leads to a high-skill, good-paying job.

 

View the proclamation by clicking the link here.

 

History of Economic Development Week. 

Economic Development Week was established by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in 2016 to increase awareness of local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities, and improve the quality of life in communities everywhere. The IEDC is the largest professional economic development organization dedicated to serving economic developers.