Illawarra home to state's cleanest beaches

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Oct. 8, 2013, 4:07 a.m.

Fishermans Beach, an unpatrolled beach, was one of eight Wollongong beaches graded as very good in the State of the Beaches 2012-13 report.

The water quality at Illawarra beaches is among the best in the state, according to a report released to coincide with the start of the summer swimming season.

All 13 Wollongong beaches monitored for the annual State of the Beaches 2012-13 report were graded "very good" or "good" in 2012-13, giving the council area a 100 per cent success rate.

That is well above the state average, with 81 per cent of swimming locations reviewed across the state achieving very good or good gradings.

Only three beaches were reviewed in the Shellharbour council area and while Warilla and Shellharbour beaches were graded as very good, the water quality at Entrance Lagoon Beach was "poor" meaning swimming should be avoided for three days after heavy rain.

However most lake/lagoon sites did not fare well in the report compared to ocean beaches, as when the entrances to the ocean are closed they can become a collection point for stormwater runoff.

The "poor" grading didn't bother visitors to Entrance Lagoon Beach over the long weekend, with the sheltered area a favourite among families and other beachgoers.

The Razov family from south-west Sydney are regular visitors to the region, and this is one of their top sandy spots.

"It's perfect for the kids as there's no big waves and it's fairly shallow so they can splash around and enjoy themselves," mum Michelle Razov said.

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Illawarra home to state's cleanest beaches

Our beaches are great, government report says

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Topics: beaches, state of the beaches report

THE NORTH Coast's oceanside beaches have once again scored 'good' to 'great' marks in the annual State of the Beaches report, but Richmond Valley has trumped Ballina and Byron Shire when it comes to river swimming.

The report, commissioned each year by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, grades all public beaches for water quality in each local government area on the NSW coast.

This year, Byron achieved a combined score of 91%, Ballina 60%, and Richmond Valley 100%.

It was the inclusion of new river beaches into the report which let down Ballina's total score, particularly those in Shaws Bay and parts of Lake Ainsworth.

Shaws Bay West and Shaws Bay North were both graded as poor, with "a number of potential faecal contamination sources, including stormwater and discharge from the Richmond River", and increased enterococci levels after rainfall. Shaws Bay East scored a 'good' overall rating. Lake Ainsworth West and East beaches also received a 'poor' rating.

Ballina's winning beach was Seven Mile Beach at Lennox Head - rated very good - while Shelly and Lighthouse beaches were also rated 'good'.

Byron beach lovers can celebrate, as every single ocean beach from New Brighton to Broken Head was graced with a 'very good' rating.

But Simpsons Creek at Brunswick Heads was graded 'poor' - with enterococci levels often exceeding the safe swimming limit after only minor rainfall. The popular Torakina beach received a 'good' rating, as it can be susceptible to minor pollution from the Brunswick.

But it was Evans Head's four beaches which were the standout winners in the report, getting top marks - for the fourth year in a row.

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Our beaches are great, government report says

Fulford Center to host 3rd Annual Family Astronomy Night

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The Fulford Center on the campus of East Georgia State College will host the 3rd Annual Family Astronomy Night Thursday, October 22, from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. A variety of activities are planned for the event.

Max McKelvey, Oatland Island Education Coordinator, will be on hand to assist with outdoor stargazing and to share his passion for the stars. Telescopes and solar scopes will be available.

The following schedule of planetarium shows will be provided:

5:15 p.m. - One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

5:45 p.m. - Timespace

6:20 p.m. - Magic Tree House: Space Mission

6:55 p.m. - To Space and Back

In addition, a variety of activities will be set up including NASA interactive activities, Astronomy Bingo, and live streaming from the International Space Station.

Erin Youmans, Magnolia Midlands GYSTC Coordinator will also provide hands-on science activities.

The event is free to the public. In the event of inclement weather, Family Astronomy Night will be rescheduled.

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Fulford Center to host 3rd Annual Family Astronomy Night

Applied Dynamics International and Crane Aerospace & Electronics Partner to Build State of the Art Aircraft Braking …

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ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crane Aerospace & Electronics, the world's leading developer of aircraft brake control systems, and Applied Dynamics, the industry leader in simulation and testing tools for complex control systems, announce today they have agreed to work together to bring new technologies in a major upgrade of the Crane Aerospace & Electronics' Simulation Laboratory.

Crane has used Applied Dynamics as a technical partner for hardware-in-the-loop, software development, and engineering services for over 20 years. This major new contract strengthens the relationship and will provide Crane with a facility to showcase what's possible in simulated environments for brake control system development. The new capabilities will allow Crane to provide greater system integration and testing through fault insertion, in addition to the increased accuracy and fidelity of performance testing.

"Crane continues to innovate the technology of aircraft brake control systems and the application of model based systems engineering expertise," said Scott James, president and CEO of Applied Dynamics, "and Applied Dynamics is very proud to be a part of this technology partnership."

"Crane's brake control simulation capabilities definitely differentiate us from others in the industry," said Brian Barrett, Vice President of Landing System Solutions for Crane Aerospace & Electronics. "It is one of the key reasons that we are known for our technical expertise and our ability to deliver enhanced braking performance and safety."

About Applied Dynamics - Applied Dynamics helps companies make better use of simulation assets through all stages of product development, verification testing, demonstration, training, and maintenance. Applied Dynamics flagship product, the ADvantage Framework, is a model based systems engineering software platform providing an agile, feature-rich environment for supporting product the development lifecycle through development, integration, verification, and certification. ADvantage embraces an open architecture and allows its users to leverage best-in-class COTS and open source technologies. The ADvantage user base includes more than 50% of the Fortune 500 aerospace and defense companies and extends into marine, power systems, oil & gas, and the automotive industry.

About Crane Aerospace & Electronics, Landing System Solutions - With more than 60 years of experience, Crane Aerospace & Electronics is the leader in aircraft brake control systems worldwide with over 25,000 systems delivered and in service today.

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The Aerospace Corporation Implements Partial Work Shutdown

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The Aerospace Corporation started implementing a partial work shutdown on Oct. 3, after the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center directed Aerospace to stop work immediately on all but excepted mission-critical tasks.

The number of technical and support staff impacted by the stop work order is about 2,000, which is almost 60 percent of Aerospace's total population of 3,500.

Those mission-critical tasks excluded from the stop work action include near-term activities in launch operations and support, resolution of on-orbit anomalies, and execution of ongoing satellite flight operations.

"In the face of this challenge, Aerospace will continue to serve our customers by performing valuable work," said Aerospace President and CEO Dr. Wanda Austin.

The Aerospace Corporation is a California nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research and development center and has almost 3,500 employees. It provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers to assure space mission success. The Aerospace Corporation is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., with multiple locations across the United States.

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The Aerospace Corporation Implements Partial Work Shutdown

Aviation Technical Services honored as Aerospace Company of the Year

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MOSES LAKE Aviation Technical Services wasrecently honored as Aerospace Company of the Year at the eighth annual GovernorsAerospace Summit in Everett.

The Everett-based company was honored for outstanding achievementand extraordinary leadership within the Aerospace Industry. They have a branch in Moses Lake.

Its great to be recognizedamong our peers within our states aerospace community, Aviation Technical Services President and CEO Matt Yerbic said. We are proud tosupport technical jobs within Washington and drive the growth ofaerospace in this state and beyond.

Aerospace Futures Alliance Executive Director Linda Lanham said Aviation Technical Services has become a partner in providing top-notch service tonational and regional air carriers and developing talented aerospaceprofessionals.

Since opening in 1970, Aviation Technical Services has been providing maintenance, repair and overhaul services for commercialand military transport jet aircraft. The largest and most tenured provider of maintenance, repair and overhaulservices on the west coast, Aviation Technical Services is owned and operated in the state of Washington.

The company is Federal Aviation Administration rated for virtually any transport aircraft services in the world, company representatives said.

Today, Aviation Technical Services is home to more than 1,000employees who support a global customer base across five major business platforms: airframeservices, components services, engineering and manufacturing support, aircraft on ground services, and BoeingBusiness Jet completions and maintenance support.

Founded in 2006, the Aerospace Futures Alliance brings together state aerospace companies of all sizes to support aerospace inWashington and fosters better connections throughout the industry.

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Three American Scientists Win 2013 Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine

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October 7, 2013

Image Caption: The three 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winners. (Left to right) James E Rothman - Credit: Yale University / Randy Schekman - Credit: H. Goren HHMI / Thomas C. Sudhof - Credit: S. Fisch

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Three scientists at American universities were awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work describing the cellular machinery behind the transport and secretion of proteins in the bodys cells.

Based on their experiments with yeast, the scientists Randy W. Schekman from the University of California at Berkeley, Thomas C. Sdhof from Stanford University and James E. Rothman from Yale University were able to reveal new details about a fundamental process in cell physiology.

In a statement, the 50-member Nobel Assembly praised the scientists for describing the exquisitely precise control system for the transport and delivery of cellular cargo. Disturbances in this system have deleterious effects and contribute to conditions such as neurological diseases, diabetes, and immunological disorders.

My first reaction was, Oh, my god! said Schekman, who was awakened with the good news at 1:30 a.m. PST. That was also my second reaction.

Schekman and Rothman worked separately to describe the cellular system that ferries hormones and enzymes out and grows the cell membrane surface so the cell can divide and multiply. The system utilizes tiny bubbles on the cell membrane to shuttle molecules about the cell interior and is so important that mistakes in the system inevitably lead to death.

Ten percent of the proteins that cells make are secreted, including growth factors and hormones, neurotransmitters by nerve cells and insulin from pancreas cells, Schekman said.

In what seemed like a questionable decision at the time, Schekman began investigating this system in yeast starting in 1976. During the following years, he discovered more and more details on how yeast cells arrange, wrap up and send proteins using membrane bubbles, a highly important process in yeast communication and in mating. The process also delivers receptors to the surface of the yeast cell, its primary way of controlling the intake of nutrients.

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Three American Scientists Win 2013 Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine

2013 Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine Awarded To Three Scientists For Cell Transport System Research

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Rothman, 63, is the chairman of Cell Biology at Yale University, earning his B.A. at Yale University and his Ph.D. at Harvard University. Schekman, 64, is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Sdhof, 58, is a German researcher currently working at the Stanford School of Medicine.

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet announced the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday. According to the committee, "The three Nobel laureates have discovered the molecular principles that govern how this cargo is delivered to the right place at the right time in the cell." Vesicles carry hormones, growth factors, enzymes and other molecules throughout the cell in a process known as "vesicle traffic," reports the Associated Press.

According to the committee, Rothman discovered proteins that are required for the docking and fusing with their targeted membrane. Schekman was recognized for his work on discovering what genes were necessary for vesicle traffic, necessary for directing the flow of traffic within the transport system. Sdhof discovered the signaling process for vesicles to release their cargo. In a press release from Berkeley, Schekman said when he heard the news, "my first reaction was, Oh, my god! That was also my second reaction." Sdhof had a similar reaction, asking, "Are you serious?"

The research on the cell transport system could lead to new insights, and possible treatments, for diseases such as diabetes, tetanus and other immune diseases, notes AP. Schekman said some forms of diabetes and a form of hemophilia are caused by an error in the secretion system of cells, and his work with yeast helped lead to the creation of insulin made from yeast. Schekman's current research involves looking at this secretion system and a possible link to Alzheimer's disease.

The trio will share the prize money of 8 million Swedish kronor, approximately $1.2 million, reports AP. The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics will be announced on Oct. 8.

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2013 Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine Awarded To Three Scientists For Cell Transport System Research

2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine won by researchers at Yale, Berkeley, and Stanford

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Yale's Fergus F. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Sciences James E. Rothman, UC Berkeley's Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology Randy W. Schekman, and Stanford's Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology Thomas C. Sdhof today were jointly awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, which awards the prize in physiology or medicine, cited "their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells"

Winners of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine James E. Rothman, Randy W. Schekman, and Thomas C. Sdhof, together with a diagram summarizing their discoveries (Photo: Nobel Foundation)

The new laureates responded to the announcement in a variety of ways. Professor Rothman was "completely shocked and surprised." Professor Schekman "danced around with my wife and repeatedly said 'oh my god, oh my god'" and Professor Sdhof simply said "Are you serious?".

The process of choosing a particular discovery for recognition from among the hordes of truly fine work nominated for the Prize (380 nominations this year) is quite difficult. In the end, the Nobel Assembly is seeking "a discovery that has changed the paradigm in an area of physiology or medicine, one who has changed our understanding of life or the practice of medicine."

The existence of every living cell depends on the production and transport of a huge range of molecules within the cell. Many of these molecules must be exported from the cell, such as insulin, which acts within the blood stream, and neurotransmitters, which function in the synapses between nerve cells. However, most molecules are too large to pass freely through internal or external cellular membranes. To get around this problem, large molecules are packaged within vesicles, in which they are wrapped within small spherical membranes having a structure closely related to that of the cellular membrane.

The newest Nobel Laureates won the prize for sorting out just how vesicles manage the precise timing and location required for delivery of their contents. In the 1970s, Professor Schekman studied the genetic basis for vesicle formation and control. He used yeast cell strains whose genetics produced defective vesicle control, in which vesicles piled up in specific parts of the cell. By identifying the mutated genes, Schekman identified three classes of genes that control the machinery that determines how a cell forms and transports vesicles to maintain its health.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Professor Rothman studied vesicle transport in mammalian cells. He discovered that a particular protein complex provides the machinery that lets vesicles dock and fuse with the membranes for which they are targeted. These vesicle binding proteins only allow a given vesicle to transport its cargo through the right type of membrane one that has matching proteins embedded in its structure, which ensures that the contents of a vesicle are delivered only to their intended location. The process is controlled by the same genes Schekman had discovered in yeast cells, indicating that vesicle transport has survived the evolutionary process for at least half a billion years.

Professor Sdhof is a neuroscientist who is interested in how nerve cells communicate. While it was known that neurotransmitters are released from vesicles as described by Rothman and Schekman, these vesicles only open when a nerve cell communicates with its neighbors. In the 1990s, he decided to study how this very specific behavior was controlled. He identified molecular machinery that triggers the vesicles to bind to a nearby cell membrane when in the presence of calcium ions, thereby explaining how the contents of a vesicle can be liberated by external control.

This year's monetary prize has been set at eight million Swedish kroner, or about $1.25 million US dollars. The prize money is usually split even between multiple Laureates. The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies will be held in Stockholm on December 10.

Source: Nobelprize.org

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2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine won by researchers at Yale, Berkeley, and Stanford

Vaccination campaign doubles HBV mutations

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Public release date: 7-Oct-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Garth Hogan ghogan@asmusa.org 202-942-9389 American Society for Microbiology

WASHINGTON, DC October 7, 2013 A universal infant vaccination campaign in China has led the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) to more than double its rate of "breakout" mutations. These mutations may enable the virus to elude the vaccine, necessitating new vaccination strategies. Researchers at the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, report their findings in an article published ahead of print in the Journal of Virology.

Until a universal vaccination program for infants was implemented in 1992, nearly ten percent of Chinesechildren includedwere infected with HBV. The vaccination campaign has protected an estimated 80 million children, dramatically reducing the percentage of children under 5 who are infected, from nearly 10 percent in 1992 to less than one percent in 2005. But these gains are in danger of being eroded as the virus develops surface mutations.

Taking advantage of 1992 and 2005 survey, investigators found that the prevalence of HBV escape mutants in children rose from 6.5 percent in 1992, before the start of the universal vaccination program, to nearly 15 percent in 2005. Among the control group of adults unaffected by the universal vaccination campaign, the rate of break-out mutants was virtually unchanged.

Hepatitis B is an infectious illness of the liver which can cause vomiting, inflammation, jaundice, and, rarely, death. About a third of the world's population has been infected at some point in their lives. Transmission of hepatitis B virus results from exposure to infectious blood or bodily fluids containing blood. The infection is preventable by vaccination, which has been routinely used since the 1980s.

Researcher Tao Bian of Chapel Hill says that the vaccine remains quite effective, but that because escape mutants are likely to increase, public health officials need to track the rise of escape mutants, in order to know when it becomes time to consider new vaccination strategies. Measures that might be taken include boosting doses, adjusting the timing of vaccinations, or improving the vaccine. A next generation HBV vaccine has been invented, containing a second antigen in addition to the virus' surface antigen. That means that both antigens would have to develop breakout mutations in order to elude the vaccine.

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A copy of the manuscript can be found online at http://bit.ly/asmtip0913e. Formal publication is scheduled for the November 2013 issue of the Journal of Virology.

The Journal of Virology is a publication of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The ASM is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

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Vaccination campaign doubles HBV mutations

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. Announces Plans to Attend 21st Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and …

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Miami, Florida (PRWEB) October 07, 2013

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. announced plans to attend 21st Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and Aesthetic Medicine (a4m) at the Venetian/Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, Dec. 15, 2013. The prestigious conference, hosted by the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine, will be attended by physicians and medical practitioners from around the world who will discuss practice management stem cell technology, certification, personalized lifestyle medicine, aesthetic medicine, pellet therapy, brain health, case studies and. Workshops on personalized lifestyle medicine and aesthetic medicine will also be held.

Joseph Purita, M.D., a lead trainer for Stem Cell Training, Inc. and a pioneer in the use of stem cell therapies in orthopedics, will be a featured speaker at the conference. Purita joins an illustrious group of speakers including: Author Judith Reichman, M.D., womens health care expert and specialist in gynecology, infertility and menopause; Travis Stork, M.D., ER physician and host of the Emmy Award-winning talk show, The Doctors; and Actress and Author Suzanne Somers, a dedicated health advocate and proponent of alternative and integrative medicine.

Global Stem Cells Group plans to promote its new postgraduate program, Studies in Cellular Therapy and Tissue Engineering, in partnership with Maimonides University, as well its newly formed alliance with EmCyte Corp. to promote in-office regenerative medicine solutions. Fort Myers, Florida-based EmCyte is a leading provider of biotechnology solutions in the United States, develops biological products for platelet rich plasma and bone marrow concentrate grafting procedures.

For more information on the World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and Aesthetic Medicine, visit the a4m website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com or call 849.943.2988.

About the Global Stem Cell Group:

Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. is the parent company of six wholly owned operating companies dedicated entirely to stem cell research, training, products and solutions. Founded in 2012, the company combines dedicated researchers, physician and patient educators and solution providers with the shared goal of meeting the growing worldwide need for leading edge stem cell treatments and solutions. With a singular focus on this exciting new area of medical research, Global Stem Cells Group and its subsidiaries are uniquely positioned to become global leaders in cellular medicine.

Global Stem Cells Groups corporate mission is to make the promise of stem cell medicine a reality for patients around the world. With each of GSCGs six operating companies focused on a separate research-based mission, the result is a global network of state-of-the-art stem cell treatments.

The Global Stem Cell Foundation was formed as a nonprofit charitable organization that aims to fund research on the expanding need for stem cell solutions for patients, and identify best practices between physicians engaged in stem cell treatments in the U.S. and around the world.

To learn more about Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., and for investor information, visit the Global Stem Cell Group website, email bnovas(at)regenestem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

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Global Stem Cells Group, Inc. Announces Plans to Attend 21st Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging, Regenerative and ...

The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) to Host IV Therapy Symposium and Fellowship in Anti-Aging and …

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Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) October 07, 2013

Medical practitioners from various fields and specialties will travel to Dallas the last weekend in October for the Nutritional IV Therapy Symposium (October 25-26) and Fellowship Modules (October 24-26), hosted by A4M.

The Nutritional IV Symposium will be attended by physicians, nurse practitioners and other medical professionals all looking to increase their knowledge and experience with intravenous nutritional therapies. The focus of the course will be on vitamins and minerals, amino acids, and other parenteral compounds. Speakers include Guy DaSilva, MD, founder and medical director of the DaSilva Institute of Anti-Aging, Regenerative & Functional Medicine. Dr. DaSilva specializes in Anti-Aging Medicine, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, cancer therapies, chelation therapy, and IV therapies. Virginia G. Osborne, ND will also present as a key speaker. Dr. Osborne specializes in IV treatment for environmentally induced diseases, chelation, homeopathy and nutrition therapies. She is also the Clinical Medical Supervisor and IV Therapy instructor at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine & Natural Health Centers.

FAARM modules offered at this event include Module II, Module VI, Module XIX(D), and Module XX(B).

Module II- Coronary Artery will focus on hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and metabolic syndrome and will feature presentations by George Gillson, MD, PhD; Thomas Guilliams, PhD; Mark Houston, MD, MS, ABAARM, FASP, FASH; James Roberts, MD; Pamela W. Smith, MD, MS, MPH; and Filomena Tridade, MD, MPH.

Speakers for Module VI- Functional/ Nutritional Medicine include Lena Edwards, MD, FAARM, ABAARM, FICT; Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, ND; Jack Monaco, MD; Robert Rountree, MD; Pamela W. Smith, MD, MS, MPH; and Filomena Tridade, MD, MPH.

David Haase, MD; Mark Houston, MD, MS, ABAARM, Jim LaValle, RPh, Sahar Swidan, PharmD, BCPS; and Wayne L. Westcott, PhD will present for Module XIX(D)- Sports Medicine.

Module XX(B)- Metabolic Triads B speakers include Andrew Heyman, MD, MHSA; Gary Huber, DO; Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, ND; and Pamela W. Smith, MD, MS, MPH.

For more information or to register for this CME event, please visit http://www.a4m.com or call 1.888.997.0112.

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Unity Church of Muskegon launches new 'Spirituality Unleashed' effort with the help of shamanic storyteller Ted Jauw

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MUSKEGON, MI With the help of two artists and storytellers,Unity Church of Muskegonthis month will launch a new spirituality effort created to unite people of all ages and backgrounds.

As part of a new Sunday evening program called, Spirituality Unleashed, Grand Rapids-based couple Ted Jauw and Kate Henriott will present The Secret Life of Butterflies on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 7-9 p.m. at 2052 Bourdon St.

I will be talking about what happens in your life when bad things happen and what are the secrets to turning that around using the butterfly and my own life as the metaphor, said Jauw, a California native.I am a storyteller and I use music, art and culture to tell stories that have meaning to people.

The churchs leader, Rev. Diane Stark, said she initiated the Spirituality Unleashed event to reach younger residents, among other reasons.

I think that the community needs to have the opportunity to have a new kind of spirituality. The monotheistic, typical Christian church is not connecting with younger audiences, Stark said. Were all going to die and grow old and close if we dont morph into a multigenerational form.

Stark, who has preached at the church since 2012, said the evening program is way to offer an activity that deviates from the churchs typical Sunday morning service format.

"This is an opportunity to dream a new future for ourselves in terms of how we play, how we create, and how we hold each other in warmth and understanding, Stark said.

In the past, the church has offered the public other unique presentations. In June,actor and Hollywood Star John C. Reilly visited the church and performed with his musical group.

Jauw, a student of Native American faith and an ordained priest of various African spiritual traditions, said he considers himself an Old School storyteller. He and his wife have spoken to several groups ranging from college students, festival crowds and Christian congregations to humanist and atheist entities such as the Center of Inquiry.

Were received very well because what were doing is inclusive, Jauw said.

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Unity Church of Muskegon launches new 'Spirituality Unleashed' effort with the help of shamanic storyteller Ted Jauw