October 2020: Gillette Castle's motorcyclists

~ Castle-builder William Gillette loved motorcycling, and bikers love his home ~ 

Joanna Garcia Navedo and her friend Xiomara Montalbo recently escorted a group of other motorcycling pals to explore the scenic, winding lanes leading to one of their favorite places in Connecticut.

“We come every year,” Navedo told us. 

She had a quick answer when asked why their annual destination is Gillette Castle State Park and William Gillette's imposing mansion.

“We love Sherlock Holmes,” the Groton resident replied with a grin.

Gillette was the first actor to become internationally famous for his performances as the masterful sleuth. The Hartford native died in 1937 and the state eventually took over ownership of his home and surrounding estate. 

Navedo, Montalbo and their friends – all natives of Puerto Rico and longtime Connecticut residents – have taken to New England's roads for 20 years, sometimes riding together twice a week. 

On this particular sunny August Sunday, Navedo had brought along her son, Luis Soto, an Army veteran now living with his wife in Colorado. 

It was Soto's first visit to the Castle, now a museum perched spectacularly on the “Seventh Sister” hill near the towns of East Haddam and Lyme along the Connecticut River. 

“It's so beautiful on the outside,” Soto said. “It's impressive and very rich.”

“It's so peaceful,” his mother agreed. “It's like a dream – enchanting.”

Other bikers arriving at the Castle that day may have had similar notions. After all, they share their riding passion with William Gillette, who loved to hit the local roads on his own motorcycles. 

When good riding weather bursts out each spring, a hundred or more motorcyclists visit the park on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season – a number that can more than double at times, according to Jack Hine, the park's supervisor. 

“They come from all over,” Hine said, and riders range widely in age and style. 

“I imagine it has to do with the country roads leading up to the Castle,” Hine said. “It's a nice location to take a break, get off the bike, stretch your legs and look at the wonderful view of the river.” 

A decade ago, the Castle's designated motorcycle parking area spilled over and the automobile slots were overwhelmed with dozens of motorcycles owned by guests and participants in a biker wedding. 

That memory is vivid for Harold “Tyke” and Theodora “Teddie” Niver, who portray William and Helen Gillette to greet and entertain visitors during the summer months. Information about their presentations there and various groups is found at sherlockholmesct.com . 

“They all wanted pictures with 'The Gillettes,'” said Teddie Niver. “So, we were sitting on motorcycles and with the bride and groom. It was wonderful.” 

It's fitting that so many motorcyclists visit the park and Gillette's medieval-style mansion. The mechanically inclined actor enjoyed the outdoors – attributes that contributed to his multiple hobbies, including bicycling, house-boating and motorcycling. 

At times, Gillette's love of speed and motorized gadgets got him into trouble.                

In 1918, when Gillette was 65, he and his Triumph motorcycle accidentally plunged off the ferry dock into the Connecticut River, and both required fishing out. In 1925, when Gillette was 72, he accidentally propelled his Ner-A-Car bike into an automobile, was thrown off and knocked out. 

Gillette sprang back from both events without lasting effects. 

The state park displays one of Gillette's original rides – the small locomotive engine he commanded while giving tours to guests along a railroad line he'd constructed through his 122-acre estate. 

For several seasons from 2012 to 2016, however, visitors got to see the type of motorcycle Gillette enjoyed, thanks to the generosity of former Connecticut resident David Perillo, who loaned his 1922 Ner-A-Car to the park for periodic display in the Castle's visitor's center. 

“In the early 1900s, there were loads of motorcycle companies that came and went, the two major ones in the United States being Harley-Davidson and Indian,” said Bud Wilkinson, who writes for the website Ride-CT & Ride-New England at ride-ct.com. 

“My guess is that, with Gillette having played Sherlock Holmes, he sought a prominent British brand for reasons of image,” Wilkinson offered during a recent email exchange with a member of the Friends of Gillette Castle. A Ner-A-Car may have met those criteria, Wilkinson speculated. 

“It’s an unusual-looking motorcycle and I think it’s safe to say Gillette had eccentric tastes,” Wilkinson said. “Or it simply might be a case of dealers being nearby or other availability.” You can read Wilkinson's article about Perillo's Ner-A-Car at ride-ct.com/neracar-shown-at-gillette-castle. 

Perillo, a member of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, rebuilt the Ner-A-Car and believed the Castle was the right place to display it. 

“Overall, it was a great experience,” Perillo told us. “The reactions from my friends and other people were great. It added so much to their visit.” The display ended when Perillo moved to another state. 

“I was born and raised in New Haven and had been to the Castle a million times. It was always beautiful if you just wanted to hike around,” Perillo said. “The more you visit and look around – well, it's mind-boggling, and such a beautiful thing.” 

Also online is a video (found at youtu.be/5wKNy7MCZ5Y) on the subject of motorcycles, by Paul Schiller, the park's seasonal park supervisor of public education and vice president of The Friends of Gillette Castle State Park. The Friends' website is gillettecastlefriends.org. 

IN THE PHOTO: On a recent August weekend, this group of friends rode their motorcycles to biker-friendly Gillette Castle and used the parking area designated for such vehicles. The group included Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts Joanna Garcia Navedo of Groton (in red shirt at center) and Xiomara Montalbo of New London (in green shirt at right). (Photo by John C. Sherwood.)

July 2020: Capital for Change steps in to help

During July 2020, MysteryVisits Communications provided this press release on behalf of Capital for Change Inc. ... 

~ Nonprofit's assistance salvages Middletown family's property and prospects ~ 

MIDDLETOWN, Connecticut – In rapid succession, a series of calamities seemed to push David and Susan Santacroce and their family to the brink of a deep financial chasm.

The problems centered on a 90-year-old Grand Street house that Santacroce and his wife, Susan, inherited from her family.

Santacroce, 69, is a 35-year certified general appraiser who manages Santacroce Associates LLC. He and his wife owned the house as a legacy from Susan's Sicilian-immigrant grandparents. They and their children also lived there at times, renting out parts of the house to others.

David, Susan and their daughter eventually moved out and the 3,100-square-foot structure demanded considerably more attention to become an income-producing rental property. The Santacroces subsequently put several thousand dollars and their own labor into the effort.

“In the course of the renovation, we were burgled three times over a period of a few days,” Santacroce said. “The house was vandalized on the interior, the copper was ripped out, along with the plumbing in the basement and the third floor.” The damage amounted to about $40,000.

This was a calamity for the Santacroces, who have two grown children – David and Christine – as well as three grandchildren, all of whom were born in the Grand Street house. The couple have a vested interest in the neighborhood, as their own home is two blocks from the rental property and their daughter lives across the street from them.

Developing the rental property for the family's future income had been an ongoing family project, with labor also being contributed by their son-in-law and nephew.

“I want them to have the same connection,” Santacroce said. “Where you live is the most important thing. That’s where everything starts. It’s you that gets out of bed and starts the day. That’s where it all begins.”

However, the shocking property damage and looming cost of re-doing their earlier renovations did make getting out of bed each day awfully tough.

“We were compelled to go to a hard-money lender, and we acquired a one-year construction mortgage,” Santacroce said. “That would have compelled us to pay off totally at the end, or sell the house. So, we were facing having to put the house on the market.”

That prospect of selling his wife's family property was emotionally devastating, he said.

“We did not feel that it was ours to lose,” Santacroce said. “My wife’s grandmother bought this house when it was under construction prior to the Depression. … After six or seven generations we could not walk away from this.”

There was an even more personal connection because of the loving relationship between David and Susan.

“I met her in Boston in and she invited me down to meet her mother,” David said. “I stopped here in the north end of Middletown – and I never left.”

After marriage, Santacroce plunged in willingly to help her family maintain the house for more than four decades until it became their own inheritance. He knows every inch and surface intimately. Through proper maintenance, the house could support the Santacroces' descendants well into the future – and that knowledge fueled their quest for a solution.

“We don’t know how to give up,” Santacroce said. “Nobody before me ever has. I tell my grandson that all of our forebears got up every day for many days and said, 'I just can’t take this' — but they did. And we’re here because they did. So I can’t quit. It’s just not in our makeup.”

As bills mounted for taxes and utilities, foreclosure loomed and unexpected medical expenses cropped up, Santacroce hoped an Internet search engine might yield an undiscovered option. Fortune smiled with a link to Wallingford-based Capital for Change Inc. (C4C), Connecticut's largest full-service community development financial institution.

The nonprofit organization draws investments from individuals, federal and state sources, banks, investment firms and faith-based and civic groups because it offers an effective way to help neighbors and communities in need – and Santacroce was certainly in need.

Santacroce met with Matthew Liebel, an underwriter with Capital for Change's commercial lending division, and Geoffrey Person, a C4C loan officer. After their conversation, the situation didn't seem quite so dire.

Liebel had immediately recognized that the Santacroces had a deep attachment to the property and a strong desire to keep it family-owned.

“Originally, we approached it as an affordable-housing situation,” Liebel said. “We looked at the property and were encouraged by the condition. We saw an opportunity to provide low-cost capital to do additional work, such as painting and a new roof.

“As the process went along, we learned this wasn't going to be a traditional transaction,” Liebel said. “We began to evaluate David's character and the obvious hard work he had done himself to retain this property. So, we approached the situation as though we were trying to give these people their lives back.”

A new 20-year permanent loan was arranged and the Santacroces' financial security today has been restored. The family retains clear ownership of its properties and no longer is at risk of foreclosure, Liebel said.

Renovation work on the Grand Street property has gone forward, including a reframed front elevation, 40 new windows, upgraded wiring and circuit breakers, interior and exterior doors, heating, plumbing, ceilings and floors. The house is expected to be ready to rent out by autumn, Santacroce said.

“This is the kind of result that gives tremendous value to the work we do and it's experiences like this that make me want to stay in this industry,” Liebel said. “We are doing good work, and each time I speak with David, it's a great experience to see how special this process has been in being able to protect his family and their lives.”

“I’m absolutely stunned,” said a relieved Santacroce, whose own praise for the staff of Capital for Change is unrestrained.

“Their actions are more like old-style banking, when the banker literally would come to your house and look at it, and say, 'Well, I knew your dad,'” he said. “In the old days, that aspect of credit-worthiness was a valid measure.”

Santacroce especially values that aspect of trust because he's a firm believer in individual responsibility and taking an active role in maintaining – and improving – a community’s quality of life at the neighborhood level.

“Middletown is full of people who need this kind of help,” Santacroce said. “The people at C4C are making a commitment to their beliefs in community development and community development and preservation.”

“This is just one example of the type of positive, family-supporting outcome for which Capital for Change was created,” said Calvin B. Vinal, president and CEO of the organization.

“Our mission is to find ways to create economic opportunities and strengthen low-wealth communities, often on a person-by-person basis,” Vinal said. “It's very satisfying to be able to help people such as the Santacroces restore their chances for better lives.”

Those interested in learning more about Capital for Change's loan opportunities may contact Liebel at (860) 303-3221 or mliebel@capitalforchange.org.

In the past four years, Capital for Change loans have permitted more than 1,000 housing units to be created or maintained, and sustained more than 10,000 units of affordable home ownership, while helping to create more than 750 jobs and providing homebuyer training and foreclosure counseling to 1,000 families.

Additional information is available online at CapitalForChange.org and the organization's Facebook page, “Capital for Change, Inc.”

Capital for Change's mission is to provide flexible, creative and responsive financial products and services to benefit low- and moderate-income persons, and minority and otherwise underserved individuals, businesses and communities. Its programs and products broaden access to affordable housing, energy efficiency and job opportunities.

Capital for Change Inc. was created in 2016 through the mergers of the Community Capital Fund, Connecticut Housing Investment Fund and the Greater New Haven Community Loan Fund, shaping an organization with a statewide history of service stretching back to 1968. Serving Connecticut for more than 50 years, C4C has invested more than $425 million in mission-driven capital statewide.

IN THE PHOTO: Recently rescued from the brink of a huge financial and sentimental loss, David Santacroce of Middletown stands amid improvements made recently to the Grand Street house he and his family have owned and maintained for more than four decades – and which they'll continue to own because of assistance from Wallingford-based nonprofit Capital for Change Inc.

November 2020: A big change at Gillette Castle

~ Gillette Castle’s latest structural improvement is hiding in plain sight ~ 

LYME/EAST HADDAM, Connecticut — If you’re as observant as Sherlock Holmes, consider this challenge: try to spot the latest exciting improvement at Gillette Castle.

Even though the change is huge, it’s so well disguised that you might not realize it’s there.

For a clue, look up the slope at the Castle’s entrance. You’ll see a set of stone stairs and a retaining wall buttressing the terraces. Both appear to be as rustic as William Gillette’s eccentric, century-old home, nestled atop the “Seventh Sister” hill in Gillette Castle State Park.

But it’s all an elaborate illusion, in keeping with Gillette’s famous reputation for theatrical flair while portraying the fictional detective on stage. Those structures actually are new, disguising a modern, steel-reinforced concrete retaining wall nearly 200 feet long and incorporating updated conveniences and building materials. 

“It almost looks like we didn’t do anything,” mused Rodney Young, vice president of Baltic, Connecticut-based Mattern Construction Inc., which completed the project earlier this year at the park, which straddles the towns of East Haddam and Lyme along the Connecticut River. 

In fact, Young hopes visitors familiar with the old wall and staircase don’t notice any difference between the updated features and their appearance from past years. 

Decades of weathering and frost had rendered the original, dry-built retaining wall fragile and in need of persistent repairs. Replacement became a priority after a section collapsed a few years ago. 

To prevent further deterioration and to bring the staircase into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act by including modern handrails, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) directed approximately $750,000 toward the project. It’s all part of a multi-phase funding package approved by the State Bonding Commission for improvements at the site. 

Mattern Construction was awarded the first-phase project last year. As work got under way that September, Young and his crews knew they wouldn’t be allowed to change the structures’ historical appearance. 

That called for careful coordination among Young; Mattern Construction project manager Heather Welsh; DEEP civil engineer Bill Coleman; Phil Yuris and Jack Hine of Old Lyme, respectively the former and current park supervisors; Scott Dawley, supervisor of the state parks system’s eastern district; and State Historic Preservation Office representatives. 

Stones that Gillette’s own construction crews had set in place in the early 20th century were removed, labeled and meticulously preserved, Young said. Then a significant challenge loomed when it was found that a subsurface ledge required demolition – but without explosives.

“We didn’t want to do any blasting because of the damage it could have done to the castle,” Young said, noting that the home stands relatively nearby. The solution was to have Young’s crews drill a multitude of deep holes into the ledge, then inject them with a chemical that expanded, cracking the old foundation into small pieces that could be removed easily. 

A new, reinforced concrete wall then was installed on the same location and covered with a veneer of stones from the original wall. All of the original rocks and flagstones were re-used, Young said.

“The biggest challenge we met was the ledge,” said Welsh, who managed the project for Mattern Construction. “Everything else went very well.” 

Young said he has handled many such projects over nearly three decades of supervising reconstruction efforts, but said the Gillette Castle work was particularly demanding because of the historical features that demanded preservation.

“The rocks you see are the same that were laid 100 years ago,” Young said, adding that the new wall is resistant to the weather conditions that had attacked the old wall. “It was very satisfying, knowing that we put together something that [originally] was put together 100 years ago.”  

“We’ve had numerous compliments from the public about how this was done,” said Hine, the park supervisor.

Visitors aren’t likely to notice some other aspects, Hine noted – such as an updated method by which the stairway is drained of rainwater. Here’s a hint: The filling between the flagstones is a substance called polymeric sand, not mortar, and helps prevent frost heaving and ice from forming. 

The work’s completion earlier this year ended the first phase of the state’s three-phase capital-improvement effort at the park. Upcoming improvements include stonework repair at the sheltered vehicle entrance and resurfacing of the terrace. The work, including the retaining wall and staircase, is being funded through a $1.993 million allocation by the bonding commission. 

Hine said the use of polymeric sand on the staircase serves as a trial method for what’s being specified to resurface the terrace during the overall project’s eventual third phase. 

“The reconstruction of the wall is a major improvement to the park,” said Paul Schiller, vice president of The Friends of Gillette Castle State Park, a nonprofit, all-volunteer group dedicated to the preservation, conservation and educational activities of the castle and its grounds. 

“Given the grand scale of the work, we are at ease knowing that the DEEP and the State of Connecticut support the castle and are willing to allocate significant resources to preserving it,” said Schiller, who also serves the park seasonally as supervisor of public education. 

“I am thrilled to see the positive change that comes with the wall reconstruction,” Schiller said. “After years of patchwork, it is now rebuilt to stand for the long term. Likewise, the aesthetic value cannot be understated. Looking at photos of the finished wall, it looks so crisp and clean, you can tell that it is not an addition but an extension of the castle structure.” 

“The biggest compliment we could get is that it looks like we were never here,” Welsh said. “That’s what we hoped for.” 

An online video focusing on the project may be viewed at youtu.be/M5VczCYctC8 as well as the “photo/video gallery” page at www.gillettecastlefriends.org. The video was made possible by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in partnership with The Friends of Gillette Castle State Park.

IN THE PHOTO: Old Lyme resident Jack Hine (left), supervisor of Gillette Castle State Park, meets with Heather Welsh of Mattern Construction Inc., to look over the newly reconstructed staircase and concrete-reinforced retaining wall at William Gillette’s century-old home. (Photo by John C. Sherwood for Friends of Gillette Castle State Park)

December 2020: Great Escape fund-raiser

~ Join 'George and Gracie' in supporting live theater! ~

We were thrilled to be part of the Great Escape Stage Company’s online telethon fund-raiser -- a three-hour extravaganza of diverse talents from across the country. We found the show charming and delightful, especially because we in Connecticut were allowed to share the screen with so many of our great friends in Michigan! 

Naturally, John and Kim hope you’ll watch this entire recorded presentation (especially now that you can scroll through it so easily), and that you’ll give generously to this worthy cause. The “hot line” isn’t being answered “live” any longer, so just leave a message with your pledge at (260) 527-2689. Donations may be mailed to GESC at P.O. Box 621, Marshall, MI 49068.

Here's the URL for the video, which you'll have to cut and paste into your browser: https://www.facebook.com/GESCMarshallMI/videos/2747549315457655

If you’re looking for our own performance, you’ll find it at 45:10; we hope you get as much of a kick from our radio-style homage to George Burns and Gracie Allen as we had in setting it up. During a montage sequence, there’s also a snippet of my magic act at 32:15!

The theatrical arts bring people together in profound ways, and your financial support can be the healing gesture that ensures their survival. Thanks for watching ... and for your generous help! ❤️

January 2021: Oaklawn hits COVID-19

~ Calhoun, health-care officials launch effort to vaccinate high-risk residents ~

A coordinated effort to vaccinate high-risk residents against COVID-19 is under way through partnerships among area medical organizations in coordination with Calhoun County and Michigan state officials. 

Approximately 200 health-care personnel from regional dental, chiropractic and optometrist offices and mental health providers received the coronavirus vaccine Jan. 16 at a clinic at Oaklawn Medical Group – Marshall Internal & Family Medicine, said Kerrie A. Mansfield, director of operations for Marshall-based Oaklawn. 

During the session, representatives of the City of Marshall Fire Department remained on hand to assist with any potential issues, Mansfield said. 

To help curb the coronavirus pandemic, the Calhoun County Public Health Department’s partnership with Oaklawn will continue as Michigan state officials handle distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to the general population. 

“Working together with Oaklawn will be vital these next few months as we vaccinate Calhoun County residents,” said Eric Pessell, the department’s health officer. Calhoun officials held their first vaccine clinic for individuals 65 and older on Jan. 14 in Battle Creek, vaccinating approximately 600 people. 

Pessell said the department has maintained persistent communication with the region’s health-care systems, including the staffs of Oaklawn, Bronson Healthcare, Grace Health and Henry Ford Allegiance Health. 

Additional clinics were to be held this week in Albion, Marshall and in Battle Creek, and the department will schedule more in subsequent weeks as vaccine becomes available, Pessell said.  

Calhoun County residents age 65 and older are being encouraged to call (269) 441-0912 to be placed on a waiting list to receive the vaccine. When the vaccine is available and clinics are scheduled, those on the list can expect to be called to set an appointment. 

“We need to continue to promote vaccine safety, share consistent messaging, and help one another as our vaccine clinics will continue to grow, as we open up to a larger population to receive the vaccine,” Passell said. 

The highest-risk groups have been designated as Category 1A – which including health-care personnel as well as home health aides, medical examiners, funeral workers and public health workers – and Category 1B, which generally includes frontline essential workers and individuals age 65 and older. 

“We hope to be moving on to tier 1B by the end of the month, as  vaccine supply allows,” Mansfield said. 

“We have worked thoroughly to identify all businesses that fit into Phase 1A. Outreach to the community will best be achieved when we all work together,” Pessell said, adding that community leaders should continue to promote precautions against the virus. 

“We will identify other specific 1A and 1B groups that have not been vaccinated by the health department and coordinate those immunizations,” said J. Summer Liston-Crandall, M.D., Oaklawn’s interim medical director and physician 

“When it comes to the ‘mass’ vaccination plan for county seniors and essential workers, we have offered assistance to the health department whether that be staff, volunteers or locations,” Liston-Crandall said. “It makes the most sense for us to team up on this effort so we can serve the community as a whole,” she added.

“The loss of life among the eldest, frailest group of our citizens living in communal settings has been disproportionate and tragic,” Liston-Crandall said. “While we are awaiting our next allotment of vaccine, those seniors living in nursing homes, foster care and other care facilities will be receiving their vaccinations.”

Health-care officials continue to stress that, until vaccines become more widely available, the spread of COVID-19 can be slowed by limiting gatherings with others, practicing social distancing, washing hands frequently and wearing masks in public. 

Two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are required for it to be effective. Updates are expected to be issued by state and local officials as additional vaccine doses become available for additional priority groups.

Liston-Crandall urged public patience as health officials work to obtain the vaccine and deliver it to the designated groups in a structured fashion. 

“This vaccination effort is unlike anything since the polio inoculations of the mid-20th century,” Liston-Crandall said. “We are heartened by the enthusiasm of community members for the COVID vaccine. That enthusiasm could drive impatience. We are asking that community leaders and members bear with us and the public health officials while we enact this enormous chore.”

Trustworthy information about COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccination effort is available online through the Calhoun health department’s website at www.calhouncountymi.gov/departments/public_health_department/covid_vaccine.php; the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website at www.michigan.gov/coronavirus and the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html. 

In addition, Michigan residents who wish to volunteer in the vaccination effort are being encouraged to register with the MI Volunteer Registry at www.mivolunteerregistry.org. The registry provides a centralized electronic environment for volunteers to obtain information about how to support a public health or medical emergency response. 

Theater: Great Escape, 2011-2019

~ A brief visual guide to Great Escape Stage Company! ~ 

Great Escape is a nonprofit theater company based in Marshall, Michigan, with which we've been honored to be involved as an actor, director, script adviser, special-effects consultant and board member. For several years, MysteryVisits Communications handled GESC's press releases and public relations. You can learn more about GESC at GreatEscapeStageCompany.com.

The posters that appear below represent just a few of the stage productions with which John C. Sherwood was directly involved as a performer and/or director. The specialized magical programs were produced in conjunction with fellow members of Neil Foster Ring No. 89 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, which meets at the American Museum of Magic, also based in Marshall, Michigan. John is a former member of the museum's board of directors.

Learn more about the magicians' organization by visiting the Facebook page "https://www.facebook.com/groups/390526717655426" and learn more about the magic museum at AmericanMuseumOfMagic.org.

April 2021: Aaron Brown joins Oaklawn

                                    

During April 2021, MysteryVisits Communications provided this press release on behalf of Oaklawn ... 

~ Physician Assistant Aaron Brown Joins Oaklawn's Gastroenterology Services ~ 

While he was growing up in the Michigan city of Portland, a career as a physician assistant almost always seemed to be just around the corner for Aaron Brown.

After all, he didn’t have far to look for inspiration.

“My paternal grandfather was the town doctor for 40 years, and I grew up watching him and seeing how medicine should be done,” Brown said, adding that he always believed medicine was in his future.

That belief turned out to come true, for Brown now has joined Oaklawn Medical Group – Gastroenterology, where he will work as a physician assistant alongside Urvish K. Shah, M.D., and Rajvinder Sidhu, M.D., in Suite 3A of the Wright Medical Building at 215 E. Mansion St., Marshall, Michigan. Appointments may be made by calling (269) 789-0025.

Before he even began to attend Portland High School, Brown had pretty much made up his mind where he was going to end up, considering the medical examples set by his grandfather and father, both of whom were general practitioners who made house calls, delivered babies and took care of families. In fact, Brown’s father still practices medicine in Portland.

“I saw how things were done and how you could help people who needed help,” Brown said. “There’s nothing more intimate than your health, and I saw that – if people trusted you with your health and you had the ability to help, I would do that,” he added.

“By the time I was in elementary school I was definitely thinking about it as a career,” he said. “By fourth or fifth grade, I was on track to go into medicine.”

In high school, Brown’s class schedule reflected that decision, and included courses in anatomy as well as advanced biology and chemistry.

“My family was very encouraging but they never pushed me in that direction,” Brown said. “It was my decision.”

Brown earned a bachelor of science degree in human biology from Michigan State University in 2012. He worked as a personal fitness trainer in Lansing, and from 2015 to 2018 as a medical assistant for Lansing Urgent Care.

Brown went on to obtain a master of science degree in physician assistant studies from Central Michigan University in 2020.

Brown is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. He is additionally certified in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support and critical care support. Brown is a member of the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Brown and his wife of five years, Tess, are planning to move to Marshall later in the year. In the meantime, the couple live in Charlotte with their feline housemates, Cooper and Louie.

Brown enjoys listening and playing music, and said he “dabbles” in piano and guitar. He and his wife also enjoy world travel, having spent time in Greece, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Brown said he has been impressed by everyone with whom he has spoken at Oaklawn.

“Everyone I’ve met was really great,” he said. “They like being there. They all seem to genuinely enjoy what they’re doing and they like being there. It felt to me like a good, cohesive unit.”

Such mutual support among the medical staff is vital in the treatment of patients, he said.

“You don’t want to be a robot practicing medicine,” Brown said. “Your health is a really personal matter, and I want my patients to feel comfortable. We want a team that genuinely cares and helps the patient feel safe.”

April 2021: Pa-Nhia Yang joins Oaklawn

During April 2021, MysteryVisits Communications provided this press release on behalf of Marshall, Michigan-based Oaklawn ... 

~ Family Nurse Practitioner Pa-Nhia Yang Joins Oaklawn Primary Care - Coldwater ~ 

Even as a young child, Pa-Nhia Yang somehow seemed to know that she would be destined for a career in the healing arts.

“It was my academic inclination,” the Lansing native said. “From the age of 5 on, I always knew.”

Her instincts proved to be correct, for she is now a family nurse practitioner – and the latest addition to the staff at Oaklawn Primary Care – Coldwater, situated at 375 N. Willowbrook Road, Coldwater.

There, she will work alongside Jackalyn M. Govier, D.O., and Mindy White, FNP-BC. Appointments at the office may be made by calling (517) 924-1605.

When she was young and attending Lansing schools, Pa-Nhia – which is pronounced “Pa-nee-ah” – was “science minded.” She also was blessed with the additional influence of several aunts and uncles whose work was in the medical field.

By the time she was attending classes at J.W. Sexton High School, her focus had turned to developing a career health care, a goal she advanced by enrolling in such science-based courses as biology, chemistry and physics, as well as pre-nursing courses for high-school students through Michigan State University.

“I realized that nursing is a culmination of many sciences and many principles of study that bring everything together,” she said, adding that she finds that synergistic combination fascinating.

“My family also let me know that this would be very fulfilling work because it would mean I was helping people,” she said.

Yang-Murray continued her studies at Michigan State University, earning a bachelor of science degree in nursing in 2008. For several years after graduation, she worked as a registered nurse in the Lansing area, then went on to obtain a master of science degree in nursing in 2019 through the university’s family nurse practitioner program.

Today, Yang-Murray is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners and the Michigan Association of Nurses. She is certified to perform basic life support, advanced cardiac life support and pediatric life support.

Yang-Murray comes to Oaklawn’s Coldwater location from recent work as a family nurse practitioner in the Lansing area, where she and her husband continue to reside. Yang-Murray’s husband of five years, Nic Murray, works as a supply-chain specialist in the paint industry.

The couple enjoy floral gardening, cultivating their vegetable garden as a primary food source and playing with their pet chihuahua, Isadora.

Yang-Murray said she was pleased to find that Oaklawn’s medical approach provides “greater communication and personalized care,” because such qualities themselves can promote healing.

“I’ve found that basic care is much improved in an environment where your place of employment really supports you,” Yang-Murray said.

“Oaklawn has the reputation of giving its providers what they need to give their patients excellent quality care,” she said. “It has a more community-based feel, and the environment is more conducive to providing that kind of care. I’m looking forward to being part of that in Coldwater.”

February 2021: Timothy Kwiecien joins Oaklawn

During February 2021, MysteryVisits Communications provided this press release on behalf of Oaklawn ... 

~ Early interest in science led to career for Oaklawn physician Timothy Kwiecien ~ 

MARSHALL, Michigan – While Timothy Kwiecien was a middle-school student in the metropolitan Detroit area, it dawned on him that there was a branch of science that particularly fascinated him.

“Everything about biology, ecology, earth sciences, chemistry,” he said. “It was a conscious interest while I was in sixth or seventh grade.” By the time Kwiecien was 14, he was a member of his school’s youth leadership council focusing on medicine.

That focus grew intensely enough over the years to propel him into a medical career. Beginning this month, Kwiecien is tackling a full-time role as a physician with the Oaklawn Medical Group.

“My goal was to find a career in which to use that interest, to help people and make a difference,” he said. 

Kwiecien, who now sees patients at his office in Suite 2C of the Wright Medical Building at 215 Mansion St., actually is no stranger to Oaklawn. He served in a contract capacity for Oaklawn’s pain-management service line from mid-July 2020 until now.

Kwiecien grew up near the community of Canton and graduated from Plymouth High School. 

While an economics student at Wayne State University, Kwiecien had an experience that he describes as vital to further stimulating his interest in medicine.

“I witnessed a lot of real medicine at Detroit Receiving Hospital, including extensive trauma as well as other medical conditions,” he said. “These unfortunately presented themselves in an acute-care setting due to lack of access to routine medical care and the troubling socioeconomic disparities that exist within the community.”

Kwiecien said he looked on with curiosity and interest as medical staff ran to help and assist those in desperate need of medical attention.

“Seeing all that happen in real time – chaotic yet with a great deal of teamwork and people working together – that shaped my view of medicine and what it means to be a physician and the true privilege it is to care for patients.” 

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2011 from Wayne State University, Kwiecien went on to receive his degree as a doctor of medicine in 2015 from the Wayne State University School of Medicine. During his medical residency, Kwiecien’s participated in a monthlong program at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, during which he worked to develop his skills in anesthesiology in 2018. 

Kwiecien is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology, having received a degree in that field in 2019 from the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles. Kwiecien also received a fellowship in multidisciplinary pain medicine from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 2020. 

Kwiecien is the first member of his family to go on to college and become a physician, although a younger brother followed in his footsteps and now works as a nurse for a Livonia hospital. Their mother and father continue to live in Canton. 

Kwiecien particularly enjoys travel and has spent time in many of the capitals of Europe, including London, Paris and Amsterdam. His other travels include Taiwan, Mexico and the Caribbean. He also enjoys cycling and “anything Detroit sports.”

Clearly, Kwiecien said, his home state continued to have a special draw for him. 

“I was looking to get back to Michigan to be closer to my family,” he said. “I spent five years away, including four years in California, and I thought I’d never come back – but you gain perspective along the way.” 

His new position at Oaklawn puts him a short drive from his family in Canton, and offers a pleasant way to launch his own medical practice. 

“The best thing about Oaklawn is the people and the staff,” he said. “They’re great to work with. Everybody’s friendly. You can tell people like working for Oaklawn. It’s a culture, and I could see that quite evidently within the first week or two of being there. It’s a great place to be, and I look forward to getting my professional career going there.”

And Marshall itself?

“It’s a beautiful town with even better people,” he said. “I’m really excited to start my practice, and make a difference within the community.”