Our fourth-annual Spring Fitness Challenge started this week, and got off to an exciting start with the addition of a new, online wellness platform! Every year, we look to improve our wellness initiatives, and this year that meant upgrading our program from manual to digital—creating ease of use for both participants and team captains! 

On April 21, in an undisclosed year in the 20th Century, I turned 21. My roommates threw a big shindig for me, which they cleverly called the Bearthday Party, combining the festivities of a milestone birthday with the commemoration of Earth Day, April 22. We were a clan of new bohemians who did things that weren't as common back then as they are now, like composting and recycling; tree hugging and rainbow gazing. So, this holiday was right in line with our lifestyle and a good reason to celebrate for 48 hours straight.

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is April 20-26, 2014 and I've been doing a little research to learn more about it. It turns out, as a group, they do a great job of promoting the contributions they make behind the scenes in the healthcare industry. They even have a theme: "Rock Your Pride. Pride in yourself, pride in your work, pride in your results."

Hmmm…I think Baudville might have just right appreciation gifts to go with their theme!

"Why? What's wrong with our managers?," you might wonder out loud. Well, there may be nothing, but there may be something and if there is something that something could spell trouble. Are you having increased turnover in a particular area? Or lower performance than you're expecting? Is there a vibe of discontent bubbling under the surface? Any of these could indicate an issue with your middle or high-level leadership.

On the first day of the month, I saw a post in my newsfeed that said our main Grand Rapids Public Library would be closing permanently. My heart sank as I thought of that beautiful, iconic structure becoming obsolete—the place where I spent hours researching in college, the place where I tutored my ESL student every Monday night, the place that welcomed one and all to come through its doors to explore and learn. :sigh:

Thank goodness, it was later revealed to be an April Fool's Day joke! Not funny, I thought. But, I also thought: I hope it startled many people into remembering how important this free resource is to our community, and that it raised awareness that without public support, this joke could be a reality.