Navy lieutenant proud to represent Michigan while serving overseas
Lt. J.G. Dennis Rusiewski, a Rochester native, is currently serving at Naval Support Activity in Naples, Italy.
“I joined the Navy to pay back the country which has provided me countless opportunities,” he said.
Rusiewski said the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those he learned while attending Stoney Creek High School and being part of the Rochester community.
“Growing up in Michigan, I learned the importance of being proud of who you are and where you are from,” he said.
Rusiewski, a 2017 Naval Academy graduate, said his biggest accomplishment in the last three years has been “operating in South America while serving onboard the USS Makin Island during the initial outbreak of COVID-19.”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Rusiewski said he knows he is part of a tradition providing the Navy the nation needs.
“To me, serving in the Navy means having the privilege to lead sailors to successfully serve the United States — all across the world,” said Rusiewski. “It allows me to give back to something bigger than myself.”
• MSU Tollgate Farm 4-H STEAM Break Camp for grades 1-4 is 10-11:15 a.m. March 29-April 2, virtual program includes an activity box, register at events. anr.msu.edu/Springbreakcamp2021.
• The Rochester Hills Museum presents “Kids History Hour: Widgets, Furs, and Skulls”, learn about objects from the past and how animals survive winter, 4-5 p.m. March 30, outdoor program at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills, www. rochesterhills.org/museum, (248) 656.4663, $7 per child, accompanying adults, free.
• Spring Homeschool Nature Programs meet on either Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, 1:30-3 p.m. April 6 -June 10 at the Farmington Hills Nature Center in Heritage Park, 24915 Farmington Road, Farmington Hills, dropoff program for children ages 6-12, entirely outside. Masks and social distancing required, $65 per child for residents/$75 non-residents. Register at recreg. fhgov.com or at the Costick Center, 248-477-1135, www. fhgov.com.
• Oakland County Farmers Market offers free virtual cooking demonstration, March 27, by local chefs held in cooperation with edibleWOW, on the Oakland County Farmers Market’s Facebook page, facebook.com/OaklCountyFarmersMarket. For details, call 248-858-5495. The chef presenters scheduled are John Piazza and Jeremy Abbey from Soil 2 Service.
• State of Michigan COVID-19 hotline for testing or vaccines is 1-888-5356136, (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.Fri.), for information, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus or email COVID19@michigan.gov.
• To receive the Oakland County COVID-19 Vaccination Newsletter, register your email address at www. oaklandcountyvaccine.com or text OAKGOV COVID to 468311. To make a vaccine appointment, visit OaklandCountyVaccine.com. If no internet, for vaccine appointments, call 1-800-8485533, (8 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.Fri., 9 a.m.-noon, Sat.).
• Also, for vaccine appointments, check with health providers, and local pharmacies including Meijer at clinic.meijer.com; Rite Aid at goodrx.com/covid-19/ rite-aid; Kroger at kroger. com/rx/covid-eligibility or CVS at cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine.
• Neighborhood House is hosting its annual Easter Basket program to benefit their client’s children. Easter basket supplies and individually wrapped candy are being accepted 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 22-25, at the Neighborhood House main office, 1720 S. Livernois, Rochester Hills, facebook.com/NHsince1968. For questions call Michele at 248-651-5836, ext. 15.
• Tim Hortons is donating 100 percent of sales of United Donuts, March 22-28 at all Tim Hortons Metro-Detroit locations to benefit Beaumont’s Covid Relief Fund. The United Donut is a white fondant donut covered with red, white and blue sprinkles and retails for $1.69, Timhortons.com, beaumont. org/coronavirus/responseefforts.
• Jersey Mike’s Day of Giving is 10 a.m.-9 p.m. March 31, with proceeds from sales at participating Jersey Mike’s Detroit-area locations to be donated to local children’s charities including Beaumont Children’s, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, www. beaumont.org/shc. Jersey Mike’s is also collecting donations for the charities from customers during the month of March, jerseymikes.com/locations.
• Better Made Snack Foods is partnering with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month. During the month of March, Better Made will donate partial proceeds from the sale of Family and Value Size Potato Chips, and 1.5 and 2.5-ounce bags of pork rinds to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society located in Southfield, nationalmssociety.org.
• Mention Best Buddy Pet Rescue when having a vehicle serviced at Midas in Lake Orion and Midas will donate five percent of the sales to the pet rescue. Midas is also accepting pet supply and food donations for the rescue. The fundraiser is through the month of March. For information, visit bestbuddypetrescue. com or call Midas at 248693-1488.
• Adopt-A-Stream training is 6:30 p.m. March 25, online via Zoom, for community to protect local streams and rivers, crwc. org/events.
• Bursting into Spring with Sue Grubba, insights to maximize the potential of a garden, 10 a.m. March 26, via Zoom, presented by Meadow Brook Garden Club, $5 for non-members, email MBGCmembers@ gmail.com for Zoom link, 248-364-6210.
• The Seven Ponds Astronomy Club next virtual meeting is 7 p.m. March 27, featuring NASA Engineer Dale A. Force, at spncastronomy.wixsite. com/7-ponds-astro-club or through the club’s Facebook page. To follow, the Earth Hour Virtual Spotlight is 8:30 p.m. March 27, when people turn off their lights for an hour to draw attention to nature loss and climate change, earthhour. org.
• Farmington and Farmington Hills Foundation for Youth & Families is accepting Spring 2021 Grant Cycle applications. Programs and organizations that are serving youth and families in the Farmington and Farmington Hills area may be eligible. Applications must be submitted via email by April 15, lizhood@ffhfoundation.org, 248-426-1190. In addition applications from critical need programs and organizations in the area continue to be accepted for the COVID-19 emergency grant program, www.ffhfoundation.org.
• Sterling Heights based Stahls, a manufacturer of garment decoration materials and equipment, announces the Stahl Family Small Business Fund, a scholarship program to support garment design entrepreneurs nationwide. Pure Imagination Scholarships will be awarded to 21 entrepreneurs in 2021, providing them with coaching, materials and equipment to start and grow a custom garment business. For more information, visit stahls.com/a2z-heat-pressscholarship.
• The Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services seeks nominations of individuals and organizations for Hometown Health Hero awards. Nomination forms can be downloaded from Michigan.gov/ mphw. Completed nominations should be sent to Jim Koval via email at kovalj@ michigan.gov or faxed to 517-335-8392 by April 26. Awards will be shipped to winners in May.
• The Village of Rochester Hills, is spotlighting local neighborhood heroes throughout 2021. Nominations are accepted at www. TheVORH.com/Heroes through Dec. 3. One community member and one school teacher will be chosen from all entries submitted each month. The heroes will be acknowledged on The Village of Rochester Hills social media pages and website.
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Oakland County Executive David Coulter have declared the week of March 21-27 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in Michigan. The Outdoor Warning System Tests will take place at 1 p.m. March 24, with sirens activated. As a result, the Outdoor Warning System Test normally scheduled for the first Saturday of the month, April 3, is canceled.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800273-TALK (8255), suicidepreventionlifeline.org or text 741741.
• Gil Omenn, science expert and professor at the University of Michigan to discuss the “grand challenges” facing science, technology, and society, at Lawrence Technological University annual lecture, 7 p.m. March 30. Register at www. ltu.edu/cisler, free.
• The Oakland County Democratic Party is hosting various virtual events and meetings, through March 26, via Zoom or Facebook Live, including COVID Town Hall w/ Rep. HarrisBolden at 5:30 p.m. March 26, at Facebook Live, register at ocdp.org/calendar, (248) 972-6400.
• Baldwin Public Library announces that any student attending school in Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms or the City of Bloomfield Hills will now qualify to receive a Library Card at the Baldwin Public Library with access to library digital resources including research databases, newspapers, Mango Language learning, BrainFuse Tutoring, Tumblebooks, and Scholastic Teachables. Students and their parent or guardian will need to apply for a card at baldwinlib.org/get-library-card/ and collect the card from the library at 300 W. Merrill St., Birmingham.
• Ferndale Area District Library hosts “Tidying Up with Kate Sood” workshop, discusses elements of book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo, is 7 p.m. April 1, register at tiny.cc/tidysood, facebook.com/ events/3717168038353092.
• Lyon Township Public Library presents Virtual Genealogy Roundtable, 2 p.m. March 26, online via Zoom, register at lyon.assabetinteractive. com/calendar, 248-4378800, free.
• The Troy Public Library hosts Kids Meet the Author series featuring three award-winning children’s authors during March is Reading Month, via Zoom. Supriya Kelkar will join 5th grade+ students, March 30 to talk about writing. Register at troypl.org/calendar, 248524-3541. The library is at 510 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy.