Piano Palooza VIII is February 1, 2014!

The Eighth Annual Piano Palooza is Saturday, February 1st, 2014.  It will take place from 6-10pm at the Midland Country Club.

Tickets are on sale now! Contact Matthew Ivan at 989-835-4041 to reserve your spot! Seating is limited...Call today!  You can also click here to donate and/or purchase tickets online. 

Midland County Seeking Input for Area Parks

Midland County is currently revising its Parks and Recreation Master Plan and is seeking input from individuals regarding improvements to our park system. County officials are keenly interested in learning what you believe should be our focus as we update park development plans and service priorities. Please help us improve our Parks System by taking a few minutes to fill out a brief survey by following the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5L3TZ9M

PARENT TO PARENT SERIES:  Community Housing 

WHEN: Tuesday, January 14, 2014

               5:28 - 6:34 PM

WHERE: "The Hub," inside the MCESA Building

3197 Jefferson Ave.

Midland, MI  

WHAT:  A discussion about housing options in Midland County. Maureen Donker, Executive Director of the Reece Endeavor will provide information about their work and their mission. Following the presentation, attendees will be encouraged to share their views with respect to options currently available and needs and/or wants.  

This is a time for parent-to-parent networking. Bring along your stories, questions, and ideas.  

Co-sponsored by the Midland County Educational Service Agency, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, and Disability Network of Mid-Michigan. Refreshments will be provided. 

DNMM Raises $1,500 for United Way   

The fundraiser was part of Midland County United Way's "Take 5 to give $5" campaign. Donations were collected from 11am to 6pm in the parking lot, online, and even over the phone. In total, DNMM raised $1,589 for the United Way of Midland County.

"We are so grateful to all who helped make this fundraiser a success," said David Emmel, Executive Director of DNMM.  

"Our staff and volunteers braved hours in the cold wind to draw the attention of passing vehicles. United Way does so much for so many families and non-profits in Midland County. We were all eager to do whatever we could to help them reach their fundraising goal. And the community's generous response was indicative of how much we all value the United Way and all they do for our community."  

The 22-year-old student can barely make conversation, avoids eye contact and occasionally blurts out non-sequiturs. When asked his age, he looked confused and said, "I don't remember - what year is it now?"

And yet Hackl contributed skilled post-production work on "American Hustle," the film due out Dec. 18 by Academy Award-nominated director David O. Russell, featuring a star-studded cast that includes Christian Bale, Amy Adams and his winning "Silver Linings Playbook" tri-fecta of Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence.

Hackl's name will appear in the end credits, along with those of Eli Katz, Patrick Brady and Arielle Guthrie, all students of Exceptional Minds, a Sherman Oaks, Calif. nonprofit vocational center and animation studio for young adults with autism.

"You can't judge them by the way they look or by the way they talk," said Yudi Bennett, the school's operations director. "Somebody on the outside looking at Lloyd would only see the limitations. We see the potential."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes autism spectrum disorders as developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. At Exceptional Minds, teachers work on turning those negatives into positives.

"(Those with autism) have high attention to detail, and that's a trait we're trying to capitalize on," said the school's program director, Ernie Merlán. "I call it their superpower."

For "American Hustle," the students did roto-scoping, a tedious animation technique necessary for color correction, and computer effects such as making superheroes fly by erasing the wires that hold them up. When asked if he enjoys the precise art of roto-scoping, Katz, 22, responded with an emphatic "yeah!"

"This is something that they have an eye for and also the patience for," Merlán said of the students, underscoring the school's overall goal to help these young adults develop a livelihood. "They love to do it - they can do it all day long."

Exceptional Minds' lead instructor, Josh Dagg, said nothing compares to helping students with autism feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with making a living. "I know that the program is working because we've been able to teach them to deliver on a professional level - on a level that can be blown up to 30-60 feet high and shown globally," he said. "If their work is good enough for that, then it's good enough for anybody."

For some on the staff, it's a personal crusade - both Bennett's only son and Dagg's youngest brother are autistic.

"Exceptional Minds started with a group of parents trying to figure out what was going to happen to our kids after high school," Yudi said, adding the unemployment rate among those with autism is about 90 percent.

The school allows students to earn certification in post-production work by providing customized instruction, hands-on training, expert lectures and field trips to various studios.

It helps that Bennett and Lloyd's father, Robert Hackl, are well connected in the movie industry. The former is an assistant director whose credits include "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Broadcast News," and Hackl is a post-production supervisor with many films under his belt, including "Lawless" and "Milk."

To help the students earn job experience - and a paycheck - the school secures contracts to do visual-effects cleanup work, titles and end credits for the movie industry, as well as web design for various businesses and slide shows for family reunions.

A psychologist is often on hand to help the students with their interpersonal skills.

Bennett believed all of the students would make excellent employees someday, because they are "really dedicated," frequently even arriving early, leaving late and working through lunch.

"They don't waste time around the water cooler, and they don't call in sick either," she said. "We have two kids who have been here three years but have never missed a day."

Annual tuition at the school runs $32,000, of which parents pay half. The other half is paid for through donations or grants secured by Exceptional Minds.

Success story Arielle Guthrie, 27, used her first paycheck to buy a concert ticket to see her favorite band. "It feels good to know that I'm capable of doing the things I want to do," she said.

Patrick Brady, 23, said he would have ended up in the fast-food industry if not for Exceptional Minds. Asked how it felt to have a job he finds so captivating, he answered simply: "It just really makes me happy."

Money Saving Tips For Heating Your Home 

Space heating accounts for more than 40 percent of annual energy use in a typical home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. By taking action before and during the heating season, you can reduce heating costs and make your home more comfortable during those cold winter months.  

Get your home ready for winter:  

• Have a qualified technician inspect and clean your heating system before the start of cold weather to ensure your system is running efficiently.
• Inspect the ductwork in exposed areas such as the basement or attic, and repair any leaks or disconnections.
• Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows to prevent heat loss.
• Make sure your home is insulated to levels recommended for your climate zone.
• Seal gaps and air leaks in your chimney, plumbing access and other often overlooked areas of the home. For more information, see Hidden Sources of Home Heat Loss.
• If your heating system is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it with a newer, more efficient unit. If you install a new system, make sure it is ENERGY STAR qualified. ENERGY STAR, which is a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, tests and certifies products for energy-efficient performance.
• If your heating system is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it with a newer, more efficient one. Rebates for energy efficient furnace replacements are available from Consumers Energy.

Saving energy during the heating season: 

• Change the air filter on your furnace once per month during the heating season. A dirty filter restricts air flow and causes the system to run less efficiently.
• Save energy by setting your thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature. Optimize savings by lowering temperatures when you are sleeping or away from home. Afraid you might forget? A programmable thermostat can make the adjustments for you.
• Reverse the airflow direction of ceiling fans, forcing warm air to bounce off the ceiling down into the living space where you need it.
• Open window treatments on south- and east-facing walls during the day to let in the warming sunshine. At night, close them to keep cold air out and maintain the heat inside your home.

Community Feedback: Question of the Month

We need your input! Here's an easy way for your voice to be heard!

 Click here to submit your answer(s) to the question.  Your responses will be anonymous and we will not share your name or email information with any third party. Please type "Question of the month" in the subject area.  

Statement of Accessibility 

DNMM advocates for the removal of barriers to independence and full inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the Mid-Michigan area. DNMM pledges to ensure accessibility. Each year, DNMM conducts a review of its own architectural, environmental, attitudinal, employment, communication, transportation, and other barriers that may exist which prohibit full access to our services.  

If you have any issues of concern regarding the accessibility of DNMM services and facilities, we encourage you to share that information with us.  

Please send your concerns or suggestions to:

        Executive Director

        Disability Network of Mid-Michigan

        1705 S. Saginaw Road

        Midland, MI 48640