Capitol and Community Update

Dear Friend,

Welcome to my latest e-newsletter! Summer in Michigan is a special time of the year. With our lakes, parks, festivals and fairs there is a lot to do in our communities and across the state. I hope that you have a safe and wonderful summer with your family and friends! Read on for legislative updates and things to do this month, along with other community information.

Summer Reading Contest

For the second year in a row, I am holding a summer reading contest for students in grades 1-8 in the 48th House District. Those who submit contest forms will be entered into a random drawing for a bookstore gift card. Two randomly selected winners will receive a gift card. Cultivating a love of reading should be a year-round project. One of the best and easiest ways to help your child grow into a well-rounded adult is to encourage that love, and to do that requires a lot of different tools and skills from parents and educators alike. A contest like this is one of those helpful tools.

The contest ends on Labor Day and is open to all students in House District 48 in grades 1-8. Online entry forms are available at faris.housedems.com. Students only need to write down the title and total page count of the books they read throughout the summer. All submissions must be received on or before Sept. 13. Mailed entries may be sent to Rep. Pam Faris, P.O. Box 30014, Lansing, MI. 48909-7514. Winners from grades 1-4 and 5-8 will be announced on Sept. 14. For more information, contact my office at (517) 373-7557.

Rabies Warning

State officials are reporting an increase in the number of bats that have been positive for rabies after checking.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, as of Thursday, June 28, 22 bats and two skunks were found to have been positive for the fatal disease. In 2017 by this time just nine bats had tested positive for the disease. Bats and skunks are the most common carriers of the viral disease, and humans can be infected if they are bitten or scratched by a bat.

If a bat is found in a house where people have been sleeping, or in a room with a child or an impaired adult it is important to capture the bat and get it tested for rabies. Pets should be vaccinated against rabies, and efforts should be taken to prevent animals, as well as humans, from having contact with wildlife, state officials said.

Animals that appear to be sick should be reported to the Department of Natural Resources. If a person is bitten or scratched, they should seek immediate medical attention as well as contact their local public health department. For more information, please visit the Michigan DNR website.

Department of Natural Resources License/Season Reminder

Here are a few reminders about upcoming seasons and available licenses and drawing applications. For more information about licenses, reservations, hunting, fishing, and other activities, please visit their website at www.michigan.gov/dnr

Fall turkey license application period began July 1 and will run to Aug. 1. Portions of Michigan are open to fall turkey hunting beginning Sept. 15 to Nov. 14. Fall turkey hunting allows the DNR to stabilize or reduce wild turkey numbers in certain areas of the state to meet local goals based on habitat conditions and public feedback. Find more information and buy an application online at www.michigan.gov/turkey.

The application period for antlerless deer licenses runs from July 15 to Aug. 15. Some areas of the state have a limited number of antlerless deer license applications available, making applying for that deer management unit important for some. Private-land applications do require a landowner phone number, so have it ready. Young hunters, 16 and under, can buy antlerless deer licenses over the counter July 15-Aug. 15. Any leftover licenses will go on sale Sept. 10 at 10 a.m.

If you need to take a hunter safety class before hunting season, now is the time to sign up. Classes are offered year-round and tend to fill up in the fall. Options include classroom-based, home-study, and online courses, all of which require a field day class.

If you weren’t successful in the recent bear or elk license drawing, you can still apply for the Pure Michigan Hunt. This will give you chances at 2019 hunting licenses, including bear and elk, and each $5 application helps fund Michigan’s wildlife habitat restoration and management.

Events, Programs or Services in the 48th House District

For-Mar on the Road: Creature Care

Monday, July 9, from 11 a.m. to noon. Buell Lake County Park, Pavilion1, 14098 N Genesee Road, Clio
Wednesday, July 11, from 11 a.m. to noon. For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, 2142 N Genesee Road, Burton
Thursday, July 12, from 2-3 p.m. Bluebell Beach, Pavilion 1, 6140 N Bray Road, Genesee Township

Children ages 3-6 can bring a stuffed animal and practice how to be a veterinarian using bandages, medicine, and daily care. Children ages 7 -12 will be a veterinarian for a day and learn how to treat animals, both as pets and in the wild. Free for all abilities; pre-registration is not required. For more information, please visit the Genesee County Parks website or call (810) 736-7100.

Truck Farm: Many Mouths to Feed!

Monday, July 9, from 2-3 p.m. For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, 2142 N Genesee Road, Burton,
Tuesday, July 10, from 2-3 p.m. Bluebell Beach, Pavilion 1, 6140 N Bray Road, Genesee Township
Wednesday, July 11, from 11 a.m. to noon. Buell Lake County Park, Pavilion 1, 14098 N Genesee Road, Clio

Children ages 3-6 will use their senses to learn which farm animal eats what type of food. They will touch and feel their way through the “farm”. Children ages 7-12 will help the farm animal find which food they like best. They will explore what farmers grow just to feed their animals. Free for all abilities; pre-registration is not required. For more information, please visit the Genesee County Parks website or call (810) 736-7100.

For-Mar on the Road: Tale on the Mobile Nature’s Superheroes

Monday, July 16, from 11 a.m. to noon. Buell Lake County Park, Pavilion 1, 14098 N Genesee Road, Clio
Wednesday, July 18, from 11 a.m. to noon. For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, 2142 N Genesee Road, Burton,
Thursday, July 19, from 2-3 p.m. Bluebell Beach, Pavilion 1, 6140 N Bray Road, Genesee Township

Children ages 3-6 can take a walk through our new comic book adventure. Join others to bring the newest preservers story on the road! Children ages 7-12 can learn how to help trees by traveling through the newest nature’s Superheroes tale. Free, for all abilities. Pre-registration not required. For more information, please visit the Genesee County Parks website or call (810) 736-7100.

Truck Farm: Scat Chat

Monday, July 16, from 2-3 p.m. For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, 2142 N Genesee Road, Burton
Tuesday, July 17, from 2-3 p.m. Bluebell Beach, Pavilion 1 6140 N Bray Road, Genesee Township
Wednesday, July 18, from 11 a.m. to noon Buell Lake County Park, Pavilion 1, 14098 N Genesee Road, Clio

Children ages 3-6 will explore what types of animal scat helps our garden grow. Children ages 7-12 will discover what types of scat are good to fertilize with and when to use it. Free, for all abilities. Pre-registration not required. For more information, please visit the Genesee County Parks website or call (810) 736-7100.

For-Mar on the Road: Snakes and Berries, Venomous vs. Poisonous

Monday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to noon. Buell Lake County Park, Pavilion 1, 14098 N Genesee Road, Clio
Wednesday, July 25, from 11 a.m. to noon For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, 2142 N Genesee Road, Burton,
Thursday, July 26, from 2-3 p.m. Bluebell Beach, Pavilion 1, 6140 N Bray Road, Genesee Township

Children ages 3-6 will learn the importance of staying safe, and how to tell if a plant or animal can be harmful or harmless in nature. Children ages 7-12 will learn the differences between poisonous and venomous snakes, what plants are safe to eat, and how scientists can make some harmful venom helpful. For more information, please visit the Genesee County Parks website or call (810) 736-7100.

Truck Farm: Clothes Farm

Monday, July 23, from 2-3 p.m. For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, 2142 N Genesee Road, Burton,
Tuesday, July 24, from 2-3 p.m. Bluebell Beach, Pavilion 1, 6140 N Bray Road, Genesee Township
Wednesday, July 25, from 11 a.m. to noon. Buell Lake County Park, Pavilion 1, 14098 N Genesee Road, Clio

Children ages 3-6 will learn what colorful fibers come from the farm and test out different natural dyes. Children ages 7-12 will explore natural dyes while they investigate which colorful fibers come from farms. Free, for all abilities. Pre-registration not required. For more information, please visit the Genesee County Parks website or call (810) 736-7100.

Michigan House of Representatives rules prohibit sending e-newsletters for one month before elections. We are approaching one month out from the Aug. 7 primary, so this will be the last e-newsletter I send out until after the election. As always, if anyone needs assistance, please call my office at (517) 373-7557 or email me at pamfaris@house.mi.gov, and I or my staff will be happy to help.

I hope you found this information useful. Please feel free to contact my office if we can be of any assistance.

Sincerely,

State Rep. Pam Faris

48th House District