I am a guy trying to find his place in the world. I want to become a journalist who would leave a positive mark on the world. My goal is to show the world a man with cerebral palsy can make it. This blog was created to show you how an ordinary guy could be a positive contributor to any newspaper.
The blog will show you my ability to write feature and hard news stories while attending Eastern Michigan University. My favorite story on the blog is "Breaking Boundaries Through Hockey." The piece incorporates basic web design, video, and picture elements. The story shows members of the WheelChair Hockey League enjoying a game that is considered an able-bodied sport. The story was published on the league's Facebook page and website. The story is located on the bottom of the second page.
In addition to the hockey story, I am trying to get my "This I Believe Essay" published and a feature story called "Living Life with MD" printed in a local paper. The essay deals with my temporary bout with depression and how two trainers saved me from the disease. The second piece chronicles a young man's challenge to live life to the fullest while dealing with a fatal disability.
My resume shows some of the different skills that I learned at Schoolcraft Community College and currently at Eastern Michigan University. The two degrees in the areas of business and writing are the reasons that I am able to attend Eastern Michigan University's journalism program. I plan to graduate in the fall of 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in journalism.
Resume and sample cover letter links:
Resume Cover Letter
( Note: All story dates are based on the day of creation)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Medicaid Cuts Create Problems for SSI Users in Michigan (Pictures and Video Located at Bottom)
Cuts in vision, dental and hearing care in Medicaid have created concern for the disabled in Michigan who live on Supplemental Security Income.
There are currently about 1.7 million users in the Medicaid program. The program provides medical care for individuals who are considered in poverty. A person on SSI is only allowed to have $2,000 in his or her bank account. July 2009, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed executive order 22 which cut vision, dental and hearing care for anyone who is 21 and older on Medicaid. The changes have had an impact on the disabled who make $674 a month on SSI and are no longer insured by their parents for whatever reason.
The new cuts can be a detriment to those struggling with both disability and added financial burdens of new health issues under these headings: Vision care deals with eye exams, glasses and contacts which are no longer covered in Medicaid. Eye exams can tell an eye doctor if the patient has a serious eye condition or if one could develop in the future. One Michigan resident is learning to live without vision care.
Michael Blizman, 37, a resident of Dearborn Heights was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease called keratoconus. He was diagnosed two years ago with the problem.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A Long Afternoon at the 29th District Court
Probation and traffic tickets were on the docket March 4 at the 29th District Court, Wayne.
Sarah Vandyke was sentenced to a year of probation for disorderly conduct and a minor in possession.
District Judge Laura Mack ordered Vandyke to do the following as part of her probation: attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings, abstain from drugs and alcohol for a year, obtain a GED and complete five days of community service or spend five days in jail.
The two charges cost $928, which caught Vandyke by surprise.
Vandyke currently works as a bartender and lives at home with her parents.
Vandyke was 20 years old when she was arrested Dec.18 for the disorderly conduct and the minor in possession charges.
After the sentencing of Vandyke, the rest of the afternoon dealt with traffic tickets. Two of the traffic violations were dismissed by a member of the court.
Sarah Vandyke was sentenced to a year of probation for disorderly conduct and a minor in possession.
District Judge Laura Mack ordered Vandyke to do the following as part of her probation: attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings, abstain from drugs and alcohol for a year, obtain a GED and complete five days of community service or spend five days in jail.
The two charges cost $928, which caught Vandyke by surprise.
Vandyke currently works as a bartender and lives at home with her parents.
Vandyke was 20 years old when she was arrested Dec.18 for the disorderly conduct and the minor in possession charges.
After the sentencing of Vandyke, the rest of the afternoon dealt with traffic tickets. Two of the traffic violations were dismissed by a member of the court.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Needing Money to Continue God's Work
St. Mary Catholic Church of Wayne began its pledge drive Sunday to reduce a debt of $4,557,000.
Rev. David Burgard, the pastor of the parish, made the declaration for the debt reduction campaign called “Honoring Our Past-Faith in Our Future” during the homily. Burgard understands why the church made the renovations to the campus.
“The parish expansion has improved the aesthetics of our campus and this area of the local community, and it helps to make a more welcoming church to those who come here,” Burgard said. “It is also helping us to carry out our church mission of worship, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, and serving the people of God.”
The plan, which was developed for the parish by the Archdiocese of Detroit, along with a financial adviser and Burgard, calls for parishioners to donate enough money to eliminate at least $500,000 of the debt by 2013.
The campaign calls for worshippers to make the following pledge contributions if possible: $1,080, $1,440, $1,800, $2,700, $3,600, $5,400, $10,000 and $25,000 or more. All pledge amounts are payable over a three year period and are tax-deductible. A payment can be made monthly, quarterly, semiannually, annually or all at once.
Money from the pledge drive is paid to the Archdiocese of Detroit. The archdiocese for this year will charge the parish no interest on the debt. The principle of the debt is $3,476,600 and the interest is $1,080,400.
“If the debt cannot be repaid, I don't know what would happen,” Burgard said. “There is no legal way to pursue getting the debt from the parish. Ultimately, if the parish didn't pay, the archdiocese would have to swallow it up. Hopefully, we would be in dialogue with the archdiocese if it became clear that the parish couldn't realistically repay the loan in the foreseeable future.”
The debt was accumulated from 2000 to 2002 when the parish decided to make renovations to the campus. In a three year period, the parish built a church-school connector, a new activity center, an outreach center, a new parking lot, a new parish office, and new apartments for the nuns of St. Mary Catholic Church.
Rev. David Burgard, the pastor of the parish, made the declaration for the debt reduction campaign called “Honoring Our Past-Faith in Our Future” during the homily. Burgard understands why the church made the renovations to the campus.
“The parish expansion has improved the aesthetics of our campus and this area of the local community, and it helps to make a more welcoming church to those who come here,” Burgard said. “It is also helping us to carry out our church mission of worship, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, and serving the people of God.”
The plan, which was developed for the parish by the Archdiocese of Detroit, along with a financial adviser and Burgard, calls for parishioners to donate enough money to eliminate at least $500,000 of the debt by 2013.
The campaign calls for worshippers to make the following pledge contributions if possible: $1,080, $1,440, $1,800, $2,700, $3,600, $5,400, $10,000 and $25,000 or more. All pledge amounts are payable over a three year period and are tax-deductible. A payment can be made monthly, quarterly, semiannually, annually or all at once.
Money from the pledge drive is paid to the Archdiocese of Detroit. The archdiocese for this year will charge the parish no interest on the debt. The principle of the debt is $3,476,600 and the interest is $1,080,400.
“If the debt cannot be repaid, I don't know what would happen,” Burgard said. “There is no legal way to pursue getting the debt from the parish. Ultimately, if the parish didn't pay, the archdiocese would have to swallow it up. Hopefully, we would be in dialogue with the archdiocese if it became clear that the parish couldn't realistically repay the loan in the foreseeable future.”
The debt was accumulated from 2000 to 2002 when the parish decided to make renovations to the campus. In a three year period, the parish built a church-school connector, a new activity center, an outreach center, a new parking lot, a new parish office, and new apartments for the nuns of St. Mary Catholic Church.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A Day of Fixes and Grants for the Wayne City Council
The Council and the city engineer agreed on a start date for the Newburg Road Resurfacing and Watermain Replacement Project.
The project will be replacing an 80-year-old water pipe on the west side of Newburg road. The road portion of the project will be handled by Wayne and the water pipe portion is handled by Detroit.
A meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wayne Library. The meeting will have all the parties contracted to complete the project.
City Engineer Ramzi J. El-Gharib said all citizens are welcome at the meeting because he wanted all concerns from citizens to be heard.
The plan is going to impact Newburg Road all the way to Glenwood Road. Traffic will be blocked for residents that live near the project.
The water main portion of project is scheduled to begin Monday and end April 16. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department will be completing the water pipe portion of the project. This part of the project costs the citizens of Wayne nothing.
The project will be replacing an 80-year-old water pipe on the west side of Newburg road. The road portion of the project will be handled by Wayne and the water pipe portion is handled by Detroit.
A meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wayne Library. The meeting will have all the parties contracted to complete the project.
City Engineer Ramzi J. El-Gharib said all citizens are welcome at the meeting because he wanted all concerns from citizens to be heard.
The plan is going to impact Newburg Road all the way to Glenwood Road. Traffic will be blocked for residents that live near the project.
The water main portion of project is scheduled to begin Monday and end April 16. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department will be completing the water pipe portion of the project. This part of the project costs the citizens of Wayne nothing.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Helping Renters
A $24,000 loss of revenue in January has forced a manager of a Wayne apartment complex to work with residents and prospective tenants on paying their rent.
Unemployment has reached about 10 percent for 2009, according to the Detroit News. Because of people losing their jobs, many families lost their homes. Many businesses have reached out to individuals to make a profit in Michigan’s economy.
Manager Janet Austin decided to help residents by allowing them to be late with rent payments. The occupant must call in advance to explain why the rent payment is going to be late. The plan is based on a private payment schedule created by Austin. Austin goes to court once a month and the Family Independent Agency weekly to deal with broken contracts.
“In a complaint, I show a created payment plan,” Austin said. “I realize it is hard for people to find jobs, but the minute the payment schedule is broken, I terminate the lease agreement.”
The defendant is responsible for all legal fees and late rent payments. If the resident is evicted, Austin has to call the bailiff to make sure the former occupant leaves the property. The eviction process costs Midtown Square Apartments about $600. The former tenant is also responsible for any damages to the apartment.
Unemployment has reached about 10 percent for 2009, according to the Detroit News. Because of people losing their jobs, many families lost their homes. Many businesses have reached out to individuals to make a profit in Michigan’s economy.
Manager Janet Austin decided to help residents by allowing them to be late with rent payments. The occupant must call in advance to explain why the rent payment is going to be late. The plan is based on a private payment schedule created by Austin. Austin goes to court once a month and the Family Independent Agency weekly to deal with broken contracts.
“In a complaint, I show a created payment plan,” Austin said. “I realize it is hard for people to find jobs, but the minute the payment schedule is broken, I terminate the lease agreement.”
The defendant is responsible for all legal fees and late rent payments. If the resident is evicted, Austin has to call the bailiff to make sure the former occupant leaves the property. The eviction process costs Midtown Square Apartments about $600. The former tenant is also responsible for any damages to the apartment.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
EMU Fire Safety for the Disabled
Shane Coleman goes up to the fourth floor to get to his computer classes in Pray-Harrold. He completes his work on time to get closer to a degree in graphic design. But as Coleman focuses on his future, he has thoughts about his safety, as all college students do these days. But his concerns are specific to the issue of what to do in case of a fire.
For most, what to do in a fire is a no-brainer: Get out and get to safety. This is no easy task for Coleman, because of his wheelchair.
Eastern Michigan University’s fire safety plan calls for the disabled student to reach the nearest stairwell and wait for a fellow EMU Eagle to carry him or her to safety, according to the EMU Public Safety Web page.
Coleman said there was no one in his classes that could lift him. He also said it was a problem because he would not know what to do if no help was available. The Students with Disabilities Office never told me what to do and that is troubling, he said.
Coleman is a junior who has cerebral palsy. He uses an electric wheelchair for mobility purposes. This is because Coleman’s brain does not function properly. His muscles are constricted to the point he cannot walk. And because of mobility issues, Coleman has brought attention to fire safety for the disabled in EMU classrooms and buildings.
Every year college and university students experience a growing number of fire-related injuries. There are several causes for these injuries and most are due to a general lack of knowledge about fire safety, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
For most, what to do in a fire is a no-brainer: Get out and get to safety. This is no easy task for Coleman, because of his wheelchair.
Eastern Michigan University’s fire safety plan calls for the disabled student to reach the nearest stairwell and wait for a fellow EMU Eagle to carry him or her to safety, according to the EMU Public Safety Web page.
Coleman said there was no one in his classes that could lift him. He also said it was a problem because he would not know what to do if no help was available. The Students with Disabilities Office never told me what to do and that is troubling, he said.
Coleman is a junior who has cerebral palsy. He uses an electric wheelchair for mobility purposes. This is because Coleman’s brain does not function properly. His muscles are constricted to the point he cannot walk. And because of mobility issues, Coleman has brought attention to fire safety for the disabled in EMU classrooms and buildings.
Every year college and university students experience a growing number of fire-related injuries. There are several causes for these injuries and most are due to a general lack of knowledge about fire safety, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)