Capitol and Community Update

Dear Friend,

 

Welcome to my latest e-newsletter! Read on for legislative updates and things to do this month, along with other community information.

 

 

Please join me and special guests state Reps. Sheldon Neeley (D-Flint), John Cherry (D-Flint) and Tim Sneller (D-Burton) as well as the Michigan Department of Education for an Education Town Hall. The event opens with a resource fair centered around keeping your students educated and engaged throughout the summer.

 

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., hear from a diverse panel of legislative leaders and education stakeholders, with ample time to answer your questions. Your thoughts are crucial as we seek constructive ideas for improving Michigan's education policy for our students and school communities.

 

When: Monday, June 17, 6-7:30 p.m.

Where: Kearsley High School, 4302 Underhill Drive in Flint

 

 

Join me on Friday, June 12, in Montrose for my next stop of my constituent listening tour. I will be at the Montrose Pavilion Senior Center from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Come sit down and have a chat with me. Ask questions, make suggestions, get answers. See you there!

 

Event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged, but not required. You can sign up by clicking here.

 

 

Families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan's premiere outdoor activities, Michigan Fishing, for FREE! All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. A Recreation Passport will NOT be required for entry into state parks and recreation areas during Free Fishing Weekend. Residents and out-of-state visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.

 

 

Genesee County Recycle Day is happening soon! On June 8, Fenton High School and the Flint Water Service Center will be collecting from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Please note the items that are accepted and not accepted.

 

 

 

 

Southeast Michigan is currently experiencing a measles outbreak with 33 cases in Oakland County and one case in Wayne County. Infected individuals in Oakland and Wayne Counties range in age from 8 months to 63 years. There are currently no measles cases in Genesee County. To help prevent further spread of the disease, the Genesee County Health Department (GCHD) is urging residents to make sure they are up-to-date on their vaccinations.

 

Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that can have lifelong health complications. Measles is spread by direct person-to-person contact and through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can live up to two hours in the air where an infected person was present. Symptoms of measles usually begin 7-14 days after exposure, but can appear up to 21 days after exposure and may include:

 

●      High fever (may spike to over 104˚F)

●      Cough

●      Runny nose

●      Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)

●      Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth (called Koplik Spots) 2-3 days after symptoms begin.

 

For more information, please contact the Genesee County Health Department at (810) 257-3612.

 

 

Do you have a bird’s nest on your property? Soon you might notice the baby birds inside are starting to outgrow it. Because baby birds learn to fly by trial and error, it is not uncommon to find them on the ground outside their nests after an attempt at flight – especially if their flight feathers have not fully grown in yet. If you do see a baby bird on the ground, it’s best not to touch it, because the mom and dad will continue to take care of the bird even if it’s on the ground. If you find a sparsely feathered chick on the ground, it may have accidentally fallen from the nest before it is ready to fledge (or learn to fly). If you know where the nest is, it is okay to put the chick back in the nest only if you can do so safely.

 

Touching a baby bird will not cause the adults to abandon it, but if you move a baby bird, the parents might be unable to find and care for it. The best option is to leave young birds alone to be raised by their parents.  Birds, their nests and their eggs are protected by law and must be left alone. Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators may possess abandoned or injured wildlife. Unless a person is licensed, it is illegal to possess a live wild animal, including birds, in Michigan.

 

Help keep Michigan’s wildlife wild. Learn more at michigan.gov/wildlife or contact DNR wildlife communications coordinator Hannah Schauer at (517) 284-6218.

 

 

Take some time to visit Genesee County’s bike trails with family and friends this summer. For a scenic ride, Black Creek Trail in Davison Township is perfect. The trail begins at Davison Township Municipal Center and winds along the Black Creek to the Jack Abernathy Regional Park in the City of Davison.

 

The George Atkin Jr. Recreational Trail is located along the scenic Pine Run Creek in the City of Clio and Vienna Township. The George Atkin Jr. Recreational Trail goes along natural woodlands and parks and runs through commercial and residential areas. The 7.5-mile trail features uninterrupted travel across the local infrastructure through a series of tunnels and bridges.

 

 

 

The Davison Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Festival of Flags right now until June 9. 5 days with tons of family fun – all in the Davison area. 5 days of family fun! For more information, please click here.

 

 

The 82^nd Annual Clio Fireman’s Parade is Thursday, June 20 starting at 7 p.m. The parade will run on Vienna Road from the west to the east city limits will be closed. There will be no vehicle traffic other than vehicles in the parade. They will begin shutting down the roads between 6-6:15 p.m. For more information, please click here.

 

 

All Genesee District Library Locations are hosting a Summer Reading Challenge beginning on June 8. Kids, teens and adults are invited to head to your favorite branch and sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge. Here's how:

 

 

1) Fill out a Sign-up Card.

2) Track your reading on the Reading Log.

3) When you reach the halfway mark, take your Reading Log to the library and choose your Halfway Prize.

4) When you complete the Reading Log, take it to the library and choose your prize book.

 

 

1) Fill out a Sign-up Card.

2) Track your reading on the Reading Log.

3) When you complete the Reading Log, take it to the library and get your prize.

 

Visit your library each week and enter the drawing to win great prizes. The challenge ends Saturday, August 3. For more information, please visit the Genesee District Library website.

 

 

The Montrose-Jennings Library invites teenagers to come and learn about coding using Cue robots! Control your own robot and try to complete a different challenge each week. This event will be held on Saturday, June 8, from noon-1 p.m. For more information or to register, please visit the Genesee District Library website.

 

 

The Mt. Morris Library is hosting a Secret Lives of Skunks on June 11, from 3-4 p.m. A live, de-scented skunk will be on hand and Laurel Zoet from Nature on the Go will show that there's much more to skunks than their notorious smell. For more information or to register, please visit the Genesee District Library website.

 

 

The Davison Area Library is hosting a Solar System Workshop on June 15, from 2-3 p.m. Journey through the Solar System with fun, fast-paced science activities. Build a model Earth to compare our planet to others and make a Solar System necklace that shows the distance between planets. Ages 4-12 welcome. For more information or to register, please visit the Genesee District Library website.

 

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

 

Sincerely,

 

State Rep. Sheryl Y. Kennedy, PhD

48th House District

 

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