North Central Michigan College’s popular Luncheon Lecture series will resume in a virtual format on January 21, 2022. A variety of topics will be featured, including circuit court, public health, Brave Hearts Estate, honeybees, a 1972 Air Force rescue operation, redistricting, and unmanned aerial systems.
All hour-long programs will be held at noon on Fridays via Zoom. Attendance is free, however pre-registration is required at https://www.ncmclifelonglearning.com/events.
- January 21 – Circuit Court: 57th Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Deegan was appointed to the bench in March by Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer and sworn in by retired Circuit Judge Charles Johnson in April. Prior to
her appointment, Judge Deegan practiced family and criminal law and previously served
as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Emmet, Charlevoix, Sanilac and Wayne counties.
Deegan will explain what circuit court does and talk about COVID-19’s impact on the
way the court operates and the cases that are coming before her.
- February 4 – Public Health: The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is charged with protecting the health
of the people who live and work in Emmet, Charlevoix, Antrim and Otsego counties in
conformance with Michigan’s Public Health Code. While the health department’s vital
work was taken for granted and largely unnoticed by many for decades, that changed
in late August 2021 when a mask mandate was issued for K-12 schools in the four counties
to address the continued health threat of COVID-19. Health Officer Lisa Peacock,
RN, MSN, will explain the mandate and give an update on current steps to keep us safe
through a pandemic with a growing number of variants.
- February 18 – Brave Hearts Estate: A 238-acre ranch near Pellston was donated to Operation Injured Soldiers by a patriot
and generous supporter of injured veterans on Veterans Day 2014. Today, Brave Hearts
Estate serves as a place for veterans and their families to relax and enjoy time away
in a country setting at no cost. Paula Brown is caretaker, assisted by her military
veteran husband, Mike. Paula and Mike will tell the extraordinary story of a mission
close to home helping those who have served our country.
- March 4 – Honeybees: They have one of the sweetest sounding names of all insects. Why do people keep honeybees?
Because by helping bees flourish at the local level, beekeepers help ensure a prosperous
future for our environment. Pollinators including honeybees are responsible for facilitating
the fertilization of more than 80 percent of our food supply. Beekeeper Anne Morningstar
provides insights into the lifecycle of one of the world’s most valuable species.
- March 11 – BAT 21: On April 2, 1972, a U.S. Air Force jet, call sign “Bat 21,” was shot down by a North
Vietnamese surface-to-air missile behind enemy lines. The lone surviving crew member,
the navigator, ejected at 31,000 feet and was the subject of the largest and one of
the most difficult rescue operations in Air Force history. A 1988 movie starring
Gene Hackman and Danny Glover told parts of the secret rescue mission. John van Etten
of Horton Bay didn’t need to see the movie. He was one of the rescue pilots portrayed
in the film and has written his own book about the experience. He will provide his
eyewitness account of the harrowing and costly rescue.
- March 25 – Redistricting the New Way: In November 2018, Michigan voters approved the “Voters Not Politicians” constitutional
amendment, which created a commission of 13 randomly selected citizens to draw district
lines for the Michigan Senate, Michigan House of Representatives and U.S. Congress
using the results of the decennial U.S. census. The Secretary of State serves as
the commission’s non-voting secretary and administrator of the redistricting process.
Sarah Reinhardt of the Michigan Department of State, appearing live via Zoom from
Lansing, will give an update on the commission’s current work to redraw district maps
and help us understand what it will mean for Michigan voters.
- April 1 – Unmanned Aerial Systems: Launched in 2010, Northwestern Michigan College’s UAS program is the leading training center for drones in the region with an impressive fleet of unmanned aircraft rivaling many universities. Graduates work in agriculture, the inspection industry, even package delivery. The training program also teaches drone piloting skills to law enforcement personnel, land surveyors, utility line crews and others. The program recently received a workforce development grant from the FAA to train 40 high school teachers in UAS fundamentals, as well as equip each with a multi-rotor unit to use with their own students. UAS Program Manager Tony Sauerbrey will explain it all.
For more information:
Christy Lyons
Director, Corporate and Community Education
231-348-6822