Name: For Michigan family living off the grid, it's "not about the sacrifice, it's about paying attention" by Michigan Public
Duration: 14 min 5 s
Description: Stateside with Cynthia Canty covers a wide range of Michigan news and policy issues — as well as culture and lifestyle stories. In keeping with Michigan Radio’s broad coverage across southern Michigan, Stateside with Cynthia Canty focuses on topics and events that matter to people all across the state.

Stateside with Cynthia Canty covers a wide range of Michigan news and policy issues — as well as culture and lifestyle stories. In keeping with Michigan Radio’s broad coverage across southern Michigan, Stateside with Cynthia Canty focuses on topics and events that matter to people all across the state.

For Michigan family living off the grid, it's "not about the sacrifice, it's about paying attention"

In 2014, Michigan became the first state to create a set of detailed guidelines for treating people addicted to heroin and other opioid drugs. 

The guidelines were praised by many in the treatment community as being clear, understandable and taking addiction treatment in Michigan to the next level.

Dr. Corey Waller is the doctor who wrote those guidelines. 
At the time, he was based in Grand Rapids. Recently he became senior medical director for education and policy at the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers in New Jersey.

Waller joined us on Stateside to talk about the guidelines and how effective they've been in the nearly two years since they were unveiled.

Minding Michigan: Removing stigma of addiction could improve opioid abuse treatment

It’s been a tough week for the nation. It saw numerous tragedies, such as the police shootings that killed Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and the shootings in Dallas that killed five police officers.

These events have heightened unrest between police and their communities, and protests were seen across the country in places like Baton Rouge, Chicago and New York City.

Sgt. Terry Dixon, the public information officer for the Grand Rapids Police Department, joined us to talk about how his department has responded to the tragedies of the last week.

It’s been a tough week for the USA.

We talked with Rick Ector he owns and operates Rick's Firearm Academy in Detroit. He offers Concealed Pistol License classes, women's classes and instructor classes in Metro Detroit.



Tips For CPL Holders

The Next Idea



Private development has changed the face of Detroit. New restaurants, shops and housing has popped up in Midtown, Corktown and downtown Detroit. But what about public spaces?

Our latest contributor to The Next Idea is Anya Sirota, an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan. She’s also the principal of Akoaki, a practice in Detroit involving architecture, art and cultural infrastructure.
Sirota believes there aren’t enough public spaces in Detroit that offer openness and the opportunity to build a sense of belonging. She thinks public space is crucial to the health of a city.
Join the conversation in the comments section below, on Twitter or Facebook, or let us know your Next Idea here.
GUEST
Anya Sirota is an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Michigan.

Creative use of public space could make more Detroiters feel like they belong

After nearly nine years of being wrongfully imprisoned for murder, Davontae Sanford is free.

During his time in prison, which began when he was 14 years old, he missed out on many things. Sanford's  trying to get back to a normal life with  many people trying to help him with that difficult transition. A month after being released, he took the first step toward that goal by landing a job set up through someone who saw his case reported on a local TV station.

While a job is a start, Sanford is still adjusting. During an exclusive interview with Michigan Radio's Kate Wells, he said he knows life will be normal when he can just have fun and enjoy things he missed during the majority of his teenage years.

One of those signs of normality for Sanford involves roller coasters.

Wrongfully imprisoned Davontae Sanford: "They say I'm a free man ... let me be free"

The State Legislature is scheduled to meet today, but don't expect much. The day may come and go with no quorum and no votes.

Our It's Just Politics team of Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta joined us today to take a look at the attendance card for the State Legislature. 

IJP talks summer recess

President Obama will present the Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot with the Medal of Honor---the military’s highest award---for a courageous rescue mission in the heat of ferocious combat.

On May 15th, 1967, this son of Ypsilanti flew his UH-1 helicopter into heavy enemy fire—time and time again---to save dozens of soldiers pinned down by the North Vietnamese Army.

His Huey was battered by bullets and mortar rounds, but somehow he kept his helicopter airborn and accomplished his mission.

It is a privilege to welcome retired Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kettles of the US Army to Stateside. Thank you for being with us.

Next Monday, the nation will say thank you to 86-year-old Charles Kettles

The Thompson family has been constructing stained glass and leaded glass windows in Michigan since 1929.

“You know, we’re not interested in making sun catchers or little things that we sell at craft fairs. That’s just not our business. Our business is stuff that’s much longer lasting than that,” explained Dirk Thompson.

The family's stained glass windows have been installed in churches, colleges, businesses, and high-end homes. Thompson Art Glass also does a lot of restoration work.

They day I visited his son, Dirk Thompson, Jr., was piecing together a leaded glass window for Cranbrook Academy of Art.

It seems there was a stray soccer ball at the school.

The younger Thompson held a piece of glass and began to scribe an arc freehand.  

The Thompsons work all over Michigan, parts of Ohio and Canada. Work is steady, but over the last couple of decades a major source of business has slowed.

 
CREDIT LESTER GRAHAM / MICHIGAN RADIO
“But, demand for church windows, there hasn’t been as many church windows built in the last 20 years, so the demand is down.”

Not a lot of new churches, but there are some additions to churches and so stained glass windows are still in demand, albeit at a slower rate.

Thompson says there has been growth in other areas:  homes.  And in Michigan a lot of those stained glass scenes are not necessarily biblical. They're often hunting scenes.

"We get a lot of wildlife requests. We get a lot of requests for flowers and for foliage scenes, grapes and leaves, and again more wildlife," the elder Thompson said.

On the walls there are sketches of completed jobs. Included were designs of moose, an otter, deer, hunting dogs, wolves, cardinals, and more.

“Yeah. [Customers] bring us their ideas. If they have any photos, they bring those along. And then we do composite drawings and develop the concept,” Thompson explained.

It’s no accident that Dirk Thompson, Sr. continued the family business. It was encouraged. Planned.

“When I was a kid, our grandfather sent four grandsons that seemed to be inclined. In grade school, he sent us to art class every summer. In high school, he sent us to art class at Cranbrook Academy. To be honest with you, I worked here at the shop on Saturdays with my dad since about seventh grade. I had no question what I was going to do because I just absolutely loved the art work,” Thompson said.

Dirk Thompson, Jr. is the fourth generation of the family to get into the business. Dirk Senior says he’s glad the family craft, art, and business is still going strong. 

“I’m just thrilled as can be. I’ve got –currently got three young grandsons and I hope they’re going to be the fifth generation. But, again, that has yet to be seen,” he said, smiling.

Artisans of Michigan: Stained glass art

Michigan Radio’s Steve Carmody is headed that way but we wanted to grab him before he takes off.

Lindsey Smith: "Not Safe to Drink," a special documentary about the Flint water crisis. 

Produced and written by Lindsey Smith, with help from Sarah Hulett.
Edited by Sarah Hulett with help from Jennifer Guerra.
Additional reporting by Steve Carmody, Mark Brush , Rebecca Williams and other members of the Michigan Radio news team
Vincent Duffy is the news director at Michigan Radio

http://michiganradio.org/post/listen-not-safe-drink-special-documentary-about-flint-water-crisis#stream/0

Lindsey Smith: "Not Safe to Drink," a special documentary about the Flint water crisis

Michigan Public is Michigan's NPR news leader and the state’s most listened-to public radio service. We simulcast programming on three FM transmitters…WUOM 91.7 FM in Southeast Michigan, WFUM 91.1 FM in Flint, and WVGR 104.1 FM in West Michigan, with a broadcast signal that reaches 80% of Michigan’s population. Our stations serve approximately 500,000 listeners each week across the southern half of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, and a worldwide audience through our online audio stream. Michigan Public also provides an in-depth online news service that provides updated news stories throughout the day to over 100,000 unique users per month at https://www.michiganpublic.org.

For Michigan family living off the grid, it's "not about the sacrifice, it's about paying attention"

Michigan Public

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