All stories are written in AP style.
Hutchins Resident's Participate in Local Arbor Day Event
Hutchins residents and city employees gathered on, March 22, 2025, to plant peach trees in the local park. The tree planting is a part of a new initiative started by the city to “keep Hutchins beautiful”.
Wanda Randle, community Services and recreation director for the city of Hutchins, said we want people to know, “We heard you.” She continued to say that, “This initiative, it's the first of its kind”.
The initiative was created by the city to help with beautification of the area. It’s the reason for the tree planting in Campbell park and many other events and projects happening around the city. The arbor day tree planting was planned by the board members of the Keep Hutchins Beautiful Initiative that was voted for back in May 2024.
The trees the board decided to plant were peach trees, the group is unsure yet as to what they will do with the peaches once the trees have matured but are excited for that time.
“When we were growing up our street used to be lined with peach trees, it was beautiful.” said America Rodriguez, age 23. That’s partly why the board chose peach trees for the planting. Rodriguez is vice president of the initiative and is a local community member. She ended up bringing her siblings and other family members out to help with the event.
“I took a horticulture class in college and my professor said that trees impact society a lot, less crime, less car accidents, less speeding” America Rodriguez stated.
Her sister Grecia Rodriguez, age 21, continued to say, “when people have a nice yard you tend to slow down and look.”
Both sisters are correct, according to the U.S. Forestry service found that “when there was a 10% increase in tree canopy there was roughly a 12% decrease in crime.”
“The presence of trees also significantly dropped the cruising speed of drivers by an average of 3.02 miles per hour,” according to a study done by the Institute of Transportation Engineers Journal.
Rodriguez was at a board meeting on Thursday and she said, “the city secretary said to me the first thought when I moved here was the city is so dry. There isn’t even a flower pot in front of city hall.”
America Rodriguez continued to say she hopes to see the area become more green and that the tree planting is just the start of what’s to come for the city's beautification, especially with all of the younger people moving out of the city and into towns like Hutchins.
The initiative has more events planned in the future to keep helping to make the city greener and beautify the area. Yard of the month and a citywide clean up day are currently being planned.
Desperate Need: The Borka Family
Lynn and Charles Borka, age 62 and 78, of Hope, MI, had their homes flooded when the Sanford, Edenville, and Midland dams broke. Since then it has been a constant struggle for the family from repairing their walls to clearing their land. FEMA and insurances so far have refused to help, leaving many with no money to rebuild their family homes and in turn their lives.
Lora Borka talks inside of her childhood home at 1120 e Brushaber Rd in Hope, MI. “I will never forget seeing this man walking around with papers asking if people had seen his house.” Borka, said.
Drew Thorton helps with drilling a board whilLynn and Charles Borka hold the wood, at the Borka’s home in hope, the board will help hold the stacked cut wood. The Borka’s heat by wood, “we hope it will last us the winter,” Lynn Borka said when asked how long she thinks the cut wood will last them.
A pair of boots sit outside on the porch of the home of Lynn’s brother. “I have bleached our boots and they still smell.” Lynn continued to explain that the boots have a smell of dead fish and sewer due to their sewer backing up during the flood.
A volunteer from the Midland Free Evangelical Church cuts tree trunks into firewood with a chainsaw out in front of the Borka’s house. The group came down on Sunday afternoon to help the Borka’s by bringing volunteers and equipment.
Lynn Borka, age 62, shovels pieces of wood into a wheelbarrow outside of her home in Hope, MI. Lynn, her husband, and her brother all worked along side the volunteers from Midland Free Evangelical Church.
A box of donated food sits on the concrete slab of their childhood home in Hope, MI. “I remember this lady stopping by with three meals left and she said jokingly these must be for you guys. But they really were. We did not know where our meal was going to come from that day.” Borka, said.
Lynn Borka administers her husband’s inhaler while taking a short break from going through their stuff outside of their home. Charles Borka needs an inhaler because he had a very bad blood infection a few years ago that caused his body to start shutting down. “It damaged a few organs, and some came back but his lungs are just too weak.” Borka, said.
Reagan Valley hugs her grandma Lynn Borka in front of Borka’s home in Hope, MI. Valley visits her grandma often, she is an 8th grader at Merdian where her grandma used to substitute at before Covid hit. Since covid hit Lynn has been picking up odd jobs here and there to make ends meet. Traveling as far as a couple hours away to clean a house just so she can make ends meet.
He, Him, and Them
24 year old, Ash Seymour, born female, has recently transitioned to male. Seymour graduated from Central Michigan University last year when he graduated he had just started his transition.
Seymour sits with his family on the back porch of his dad and stepmoms home in Freeland, MI on Saturday April 3, 2021.
Seymour plays cornhole with his siblings while at his grandparents house on Easter weekend. “They all accepted me right away. They just needed to do like research because they weren’t very well versed in the trans community. I was surprised because my family is all religiously catholic.” Seymour said when talking about his family and what they thought about his coming out.
Seymour sits with his family on the back porch of his dad and stepmoms home in Freeland, MI on Saturday April 3, 2021.
Ash Seymour shops for some business formal apparel at the Kohl’s store in Mount Pleasant, MI. Seymour recently accepted a job at The Grand hotel on Mackinac Island. “They provide you with housing so I’m going to have roommates… so I am a bit nervous with that.” Seymour said.
Seymour looks at the different apparel options at Kohl’s in Mount Pleasant.
Ash Seymour has to give himself a Testosterone shot every month. He had to get a therapist to agree to letting him transition before he could start the shots.
It’s in Their Blood: Generations of Cattle Farming
Brian Toth Sr. and his wife Darlene Toth, of Shepherd, MI, have owned their dairy farm for 32 years. Brian Toth grew up on the farm just as his grandkids are currently doing. Everyone helps around the farm in some way including the grandkids.
One of the cows on the Toth farm in Shepherd, MI, licks it's minutes old calf as it tries to get up. "We breed year round, unfortunately" Darlene Toth said, she continued to say that she doesn’t enjoy having calves in the winter.
Darlene Toth rushes out to catch the bus driver before she leaves after dropping off her granddaughter Andee Beltnick. “ I need to talk to her before she leaves” Darlene, said while running to the bus.
Brian Toth and his granddaughter Audrey Toth feed the calves together. Audrey enjoys working on the farm.
Darlene Toth sprays down the milking parlor after the cows have finished being milked for the morning. “If you invented a cow that didn’t shit while in the parlor you would be rich.” Darlene, said.
Audrey Toth reaches for one of the older calves in the barn to try to pet it
Audrey Toth helps her brother, Trent Toth, up onto a silage bag on their grandparents farm in Shepherd, MI on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. Olivia and her brother get dropped off the bus at their grandparents house everyday after school.
Brian Toth Sr. carries his granddaughter Andee Jo Beltnick into the barn to show grandma that she needs her mud boots on. "I was waiting for her to finish getting done to help her with her boots. She was faster than I expected." Darlene, Said.
Zach Faeer of Shepherd is a hired farm hand that helps around the farm. Faeer walks to one of the stalls that the calves are in, to muck it out and shovel out all of the manure.
Disability is OK
A disability is a physical or mental condition that prohibits a person in some way weather it be in their movements, senses, or different activities. People with disabilities usually have something that people notice about them however some don’t.
People with disabilities are still people though they still feel. The reason I chose to photograph people with disabilities is because I myself have disabilities, because of that this is something that is dear to my heart.
I have always felt different and like I didn’t belong. But I am learning that, it’s ok to be different and that I am not all that different, I just have more problems than most people.
Everyone who has a disability is not different from others. We are all human beings. We all have thoughts and feelings.
We are just like everyone else.
Meet Gabriel Milam: Gabriel was born with Neuroblastoma which caused him to be paralyzed.
Meet Emily Matthews: Matthews was born severely Autistic. She is nonverbal but communicates with her actions.
Meet Patrick and Melvin Grant: The Grant brothers have a cognitive learning disorder. Melvin also has epilepsy and had a brain tumor.
Meet Terri Dowling: Terri Dowling has what is called Charcot Marie Tooth it is a form of Muscular dystrophy.
